BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 19th July 2025: A major ganja smuggling attempt was thwarted last night at Udaipur Railway Station revealing the continued misuse of long-distance trains, particularly the Kanchenjunga Express for illegal trade activities.
At approximately 8:30 PM, railway police intercepted a Bolero vehicle and seized 19.270 kilograms of ganja from its owner identified as Rakesh Das. He is a resident of Ward No. 6 under Palatana Gram Panchayat in Udaipur subdivision, reportedly collected the contraband from an auto-rickshaw passenger near Baishnabicherra Rail Bridge, with the intention of loading it onto the Kanchenjunga Express.
According to Das, he was offered Rs 100 to place the ganja-laden packets inside the train, though he claimed ignorance of the contents at the time. Railway personnel became suspicious and upon interrogation, Das allegedly attempted to flee. He was quickly arrested by other officers present at the station.
The matter was escalated to the SDPO of Udaipur sub-division Nirmal Das. Officers from Radhakishorepur Police Station along with SDPO Das reached the site and formally arrested Rakesh Das before transporting him to the station for further investigation.
The seizure has triggered serious concern over recurring attempts to use the Kolkata-bound Kanchenjunga Express for narcotics trafficking. Speaking to reporters, SDPO Das confirmed that Rakesh Das would be interrogated to uncover the origin of the ganja packets and the extent of his involvement in the network. Police officials stated that the accused has been produced before Gomati District Court at Udaipur this afternoon.
