Tripura Police Seize Firearms in Major Raid

In a significant crackdown, West Tripura police seized four pistols and seven magazines from a residence in Uttar Madhyapara, under Amtali police station, late Tuesday night. The raid, led by Superintendent of Police Namit Pathak, targeted the home of Dipankar Sen, a known offender with multiple Arms Act cases, currently in judicial custody for prior arms-related charges.

Acting on precise intelligence, the Amtali police, alongside the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), unearthed the weapons buried underground within Sen’s property. “The firearms were concealed beneath the soil, indicating a deliberate attempt to evade detection,” Pathak told ANI. The seized items have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for detailed analysis to determine their origin and type, with early indications suggesting they may be .32mm pistols, commonly trafficked in the region.

Sen, previously arrested in 2023 at Jirania Railway Station with two pistols and four magazines, is suspected of links to a transboundary arms smuggling syndicate operating along the India-Bangladesh border. Police are investigating whether the weapons were intended for local criminal networks or part of a larger trafficking operation, possibly linked to insurgent groups or cross-border syndicates. The 856-km India-Bangladesh border, with unfenced patches, remains a hotspot for illegal arms and narcotics smuggling, prompting intensified security operations.

Also Read: Noida Dowry Murder or Suicide: New Twists in Nikki Bhati Case

This seizure follows a pattern of recent busts in Tripura. In February 2025, a Manipur-based smuggler was caught with four .32mm pistols and 150 bullets en route to Bangladesh, and in May, eight pistols were seized from the Tripura Sundari Express. The state has seen over 2,800 arrests of Bangladeshi nationals for illegal border crossings since 2022, often tied to smuggling. Authorities suspect foreign funding, with investigations exploring connections to networks in Nagaland, Myanmar, and beyond.

Tripura Police and Border Security Force (BSF) have ramped up vigilance, with joint operations recovering arms, ammunition, and narcotics worth crores in 2024 alone. The ongoing probe aims to uncover Sen’s associates and the weapons’ intended recipients, as Tripura remains a critical frontier in combating illegal arms trafficking.

Also Read: India Must Brace for Extended Wars, Says Rajnath Singh