Agartala, May 16: In a major crackdown on cross-border narcotics smuggling, a joint team of the Assam Rifles and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized a large consignment of banned Yaba tablets in Tripura’s Khowai district on Saturday.

The operation was carried out in the Mungiakami area following confidential intelligence inputs regarding the movement of narcotic substances through the region. Security personnel stopped a Mahindra pick-up vehicle during the operation and conducted a thorough search, leading to the recovery of nearly one lakh Yaba tablets concealed inside the vehicle.

Officials said the estimated black-market value of the seized narcotics is around Rs. 8 crore, making it one of the significant drug seizures reported in the state in recent times.

A 28-year-old man identified as Kauchar Hussain, a resident of Jatanbari under Gomati district, was taken into custody in connection with the case. Investigators suspect the consignment was part of a larger interstate and cross-border drug trafficking network.

The seized tablets and the detained individual were later handed over to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence for detailed investigation and further legal action under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Security agencies have intensified surveillance across vulnerable routes in Tripura amid growing concerns over the illegal movement of narcotics through the northeastern corridor.