Black marketers minting money in liquor, petrol smuggling in Tripura

Tripura has been reporting a loss of Rs 25 crore due to the smuggling of goods including fuel, liquor every year. Many reports of smuggling have come from the Churaibari area, regarded as a corridor for Tripura's inland trade.

Agartala: Unabated rise in the smuggling of goods is turning out to be a money-spinning business for black market syndicate while Tripura has been reporting loss of Rs 25 crore due to smuggling every year.

Excise department sources said, due to this pilferage and corruption, the state is bearing a loss of Rs 25 crore every year. Coal, liquor, drugs like yaba and other psychotropic drugs are also being smuggled through Churaibari area, regarded as a corridor for Tripura's inland trade.

Excise officials said, "After the hike in petroleum price, smugglers have been investing more time on black marketing of oil. Most of the oil carrying tankers enter Tripura through this route and black marketers with the help of the drivers steal oil from the tankers to replace the vacuum with kerosene."

"After entering through Chraibari check post, the trucks assemble in the Premtala area where the oil tankers are first emptied till certain portion and refilled with kerosene. Water pumps are being used to pull out the oil from the sealed tankers," excise sources said.

Similarly, liquor is also being transported illegally from Meghalaya. “Liquor is far cheaper in Meghalaya than Tripura. In order to take the advantage of it and to make a fast buck, smugglers have readied some illegal channels to bring the Meghalaya liquor inside Tripura”, said excise sources.