Guwahati, April 11: In a major win against inter-state drug trafficking, the Additional District and Sessions Court in Kamrup (Metro) has sentenced Hira Kumar and Ratan Laskar to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) each for their involvement in smuggling 600 kilograms of ganja (marijuana). The court also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on each under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
The sentencing, delivered on April 1, 2025, marks the culmination of a major operation carried out by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on January 20, 2021. The NCB team in Guwahati intercepted a truck based on specific intelligence inputs. The vehicle, which was travelling from Tripura to Uttar Pradesh, was found to have a concealed chamber packed with ganja.
The operation was described at the time as one of the largest cannabis seizures in the region and highlighted the growing use of the Northeast as a trafficking corridor. Due to its strategic location near international borders and porous terrain, the region has increasingly become a hotspot for smuggling activities.
NCB officials stated that the seizure was part of a larger crackdown on organized drug networks operating across state lines. The case against Kumar and Laskar was built on forensic evidence, vehicle tracking data, and their direct link to the concealed consignment.
Authorities have welcomed the verdict, calling it a strong message to traffickers operating through the Northeast. The prosecution had argued for maximum punishment, citing the scale of the seizure and the organized nature of the smuggling attempt.
This conviction underscores the judicial system’s zero-tolerance stance against narcotics-related crimes and reflects a tightening legal framework aimed at deterring drug networks that use Assam as a transit zone.
As enforcement agencies continue to step up surveillance and intelligence-led operations, more such cases are expected to move toward prosecution in the coming months.
