Persistent Drug Trafficking Raises Concerns at Chaparmukh Railway Station
Women, children, and persons from the transgender community are among probable facilitators in drug trafficking carried out in Chaparmukh railway station, according to sources
Chaparmukh Railway Station (AT Photo)
Raha, Dec. 17 : Chaparmukh railway station in Nagaon has turned into a major transit point for drugs with consignments going to various parts of the state. Despite regular raids by special teams of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) illegal drug trade is flourishing with drugs and other banned substances are still being smuggled through this railway station.
"The contraband being transported on train is mostly from the Nagaland and Manipur and heads to Nagaon, Morigaon, Hojai, Karbi Anglong, and Sonitpur districts. Consignments also make their way to some other cities of the state depending on safety conditions," a source in the Crime Investigation Department of the RPF informed.
Trains mostly sought after for smuggling include Jansatabdi Express, Shatabdi Express, BG Express from Dimapur and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus - Dibrugarh Express, Agartala - Rani Kamalapati Express, Kanchanjungha Express, Silchar - Lumding trains via Chaparmukh station though pedlars are also arrested from other trains, sources said.
“Chaparmukh station has become a safe haven to transport contraband to the different corners of the state because it is located in a central place and it has access to all trains. Moreover, the drugs suppliers usually choose a common railway station for the handover. Once the cash and drugs are exchanged, the supplier takes the train back, while the seller travels ahead by another train," said a drug peddler who was arrested by police few months ago.
Till the first week of December a total of 10 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act were registered at Raha police station and 23 drug pedlars have been arrested by police in Raha. Many of those arrested persons were involved in paddling drugs in trains, a police official who requested anonymity claimed. " Our police team acting on source information caught them out of the Chaparmukh station limit while paddling the contraband items," the officer said. He further added that involvement of some transgender people in this illegal trade can not be ruled out.
"Unfortunately, some of the accused were women and children what appears to be an emerging trend for transportation of contraband. Some poor families in the remote areas of Nagaon and Morigaon districts are getting involved with inter-state peddling rackets for money. Teenagers are also involved with transporting contraband along with their parents,” the officer stated.
He said that railways are a path of risk-free journey taken to evade police check posts. The smugglers probably believe that Chaparmukh station is safer than other railway stations as there are many link roads from the station to move towards Nagaon, Karbi Anglong, and Morigaon without facing any risk from police.
