Arunachal govt employee from Assam held with drugs inside Secretariat

Itanagar, April 8: In a successful raid under Operation Dawn 2.0, Itanagar Police apprehended a suspected drug dealer from the Civil Secretariat, leading to the seizure of a substantial quantity of suspected heroin.

The accused, identified as Vicky Chetry (32)—a multi-tasking staff (MTS) in the Horticulture Department and a resident of Tinsukia, Assam—was caught inside a Secretariat bathroom following a tip-off from a staff member.

Acting swiftly on the telephonic alert, a police team rushed to the spot under the supervision of Superintendent of Police (SP) Rohit Rajbir Singh and detained Chetry.

A search conducted in the presence of independent witnesses led to the recovery of 44.36 grams of narcotics—approximately 37 gms stored in 26 vials, and the rest in a tobacco container. Police also seized Rs 32,760 in cash and four used syringes.

Further questioning revealed that Chetry had hidden more contraband behind a bathroom window, from where the police recovered 18 additional vials containing suspected heroin and three scissors likely used in the handling or preparation of the substance.

Police officials confirmed that all actions—search, seizure, weighing, packing, and sealing—were conducted in strict adherence to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act).

A case has been registered and further investigation is ongoing.

Earlier this month, Arunachal Police officers were felicitated for their role in the state’s "war against drugs” stand.

Since 2019, the police have registered 1,452 cases, arrested 2,619 individuals, and seized 18,600 kilograms of contraband, worth approximately Rs 75 crore.

They have also destroyed over 56,654 acres of opium poppy and more than 1,723 acres of cannabis cultivation.

Under Operation Dawn 2.0 alone, 534 suspects have been arrested and 9,557 kilograms of narcotics—worth an estimated Rs 38 crore in the black market—have been confiscated so far.