Dharmanagar , Feb 11, 2025, TRIPURA TIMES Desk

Dharmanagar, Feb 11: Superintendent of Police (SP) of North Tripura district Avinash Rai suspended three policemen on the charge of ‘gross misconduct/ indiscipline activities’.

The suspension was ordered reportedly in connection with the trio’s involvement in hijacking a consignment of Burmese cigarettes worth Rs. 40 lakh.

The incident was reported from Chamtila area under the jurisdiction of Panisagar police station on January 28 night.

A truck carrying a large consignment of Burmese cigarettes, en route from Mizoram to Panisagar via Damcherra, was intercepted and looted by six individuals including the three police constables- Shibu Dutta, Pranab Kumar Singh and Dheeraj Nath.

They were reportedly aided by three notorious criminals—Sudip Das, a cattle smuggler from Ramnagar, Pratik Nath Choudhury from Nabarun Bazar, and Apu Das from Nayapara.

The driver of the vehicle was brutally assaulted, and sources claimed that three to four rounds were fired during the heist. The truck driver miraculously survived but he is currently undergoing treatment outside the state.

Sources said that cigarettes were then allegedly smuggled into Bangladesh via Sabroom border and a white Scorpio bearing Assam-registered number plate was used for transporting the consignment.

According to sources, they were reportedly involved in several such incidents in Chamtila, Panisagar, and Haflong, often impersonating as fake sales tax officers.

While the SP North issued the suspension order of the three policemen on Monday, there is a demand among the local people for immediate arrest of all the persons involved in looting the Burmese cigarettes.