Maligaon, August 22 (MExN): Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) recovered consignments of contraband items during raids and searches at stations and trains across the NFR zone, railway spokesperson Subhanan Chanda informed on Saturday.
On August 20, RPF personnel of Government Railway Police Station conducted rounds at Guwahati Railway Station platforms and recovered parcel packages loaded with chewing tobacco (gutkha) packets.
As per the railway booking marks, the consignments were booked from New Delhi to Guwahati. The recovered packages were unloaded from VPU No 078270, which arrived at Guwahati on August 20 by parcel special train No 00402 UP.
As transportation of tobacco product is banned by the Government of Assam, the parcel packages were seized by GRP in presence of RPF and other witnesses and a case was registered. Howvever no arrests could be made so far, it said.
In another incident, RPF/Task Force of Tinsukia division conducted surprise check on train number 05956 special Brahmaputra Mail. During checking, two packets containing banned tobacco items were found in the luggage cum parcel van which was booked from New Jalpaiguri to Mariani by making false declaration, it said.
Accordingly, both the packets, valued at approximately Rs 2, 68,537 were seized and handed over to IPF/Dibrugarh for further disposal.
A written complaint was lodged to IC/GRP/Dibrugarh for taking necessary legal action, it said.
The NFR further informed that during the last three years (upto July 2020), a total of 654 cases of contraband smuggling were detected by RPF with recovery of property worth Rs 17,93,72,180, and 185 arrests.
