Properties worth Rs 1.33 crore frozen from drugs trafficker in Assam
Properties worth Rs 1.33 crore belonging to a drugs peddler Rantu Sonowal was frozen on Thursday by the office of the Competent Authority and Administrator for Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (SAFEMA).
This action, taken under Section 68E of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, follows a detailed financial investigation into his assets.
Rantu Sonowal, a key figure in a narcotics network, was apprehended during a joint operation by Golaghat and Tinsukia Police on May 7, 2024, from Bordumsa in Tinsukia district. Authorities seized 2.89 kg of heroin, Rs 17.84 lakh in cash and seven vehicles.
The case, Sarupathar Police Station Case No. 14/2024, was registered under Sections 21(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act. A chargesheet was filed against Sonowal, but he was later granted bail by the court.
The freezing order, issued on November 21, 2024, identified properties acquired by Sonowal and his wife, Bibha Saikia, in the last six years. These include:
Fixed deposits in banks such as SBI, PNB, ICICI, and Bandhan Bank across Sarupathar and Tinsukia.
Other moveable and immoveable properties linked to proceeds from drug trafficking.
The Competent Authority observed that the properties were “apparently possessed out of income derived from illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs.”
Golaghat Police confirmed the action on social media platform X: “In investigation of Sarupathar PS Case No. 14/2024 U/S 21(c)/29 NDPS Act, 2.89 kg Heroin was seized. The properties of the main receiver, Rantu Sonowal worth Rs 1.33 Crore, have been frozen by the Competent Authority, Kolkata.”
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