Tripura’s Crime Branch Arrests International Drug Trafficker Dip Prakash Gupta in Jirania Phensedyl Case from UP
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, January 22, 2026
The Tripura State Police Crime Branch has arrested notorious international drug trafficker Dip Prakash Gupta in connection with the massive Phensedyl (codeine-based cough syrup) seizure at Jirania Railway Station. The arrest was made on Wednesday morning from Uttar Pradesh, and the accused, a resident of Delhi, has since been brought to Tripura by rail.
According to the Crime Branch, Dip Prakash Gupta is not only a key figure in the illegal drug trade in Tripura but is considered one of the largest banned cough syrup traffickers in the country. Law enforcement agencies from several states were reportedly searching for him in multiple cases.
The investigation revealed that the huge consignment of Phensedyl bottles seized at Jirania Railway Station was packaged and dispatched from Delhi under Gupta’s direct supervision. He allegedly owns illegal cough syrup manufacturing units and has been running an extensive trafficking network supplying contraband not only to Tripura but also to other North-Eastern states, Bihar, West Bengal, and even neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Crime Branch officials stated that most Phensedyl traders operating in Tripura were in direct contact with Dip Prakash Gupta. Several local traffickers, including Apuranjan Das and Mantanu Saha, are suspected to have sourced illegal consignments from him. The Crime Branch has already identified multiple names during the investigation and is preparing for further arrests based on information extracted from Gupta.
A special team of Tripura Police has already been dispatched to Delhi, conducting raids at multiple locations with the assistance of local police to apprehend absconding suspects.
The Crime Branch has identified Dip Prakash Gupta as the prime accused in the Jirania Phensedyl case. So far, no political figure has been formally named in the case, although the name of the father-in-law of an influential person has surfaced during the probe.
It may be recalled that on 17 October, police seized 1,07,800 bottles of Phensedyl from a goods train at Jirania Railway Station. Following court orders, the State Level Drug Destruction Committee destroyed the seized contraband on Wednesday at RK Nagar.
Committee Chairman and IG Abhula Ramesh Reddy stated that cough syrup worth approximately Rs. 2.12 crore was destroyed. In connection with the case, five persons have already been arrested and are currently lodged in judicial custody. The police confirmed that the charge sheet will be filed shortly, marking a significant step forward in dismantling the interstate and international drug trafficking network linked to Tripura.
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