A special court in Khowai, Tripura on August 31 sentenced two cannabis smugglers from Madhya Pradesh to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment and slapped them with a fine of Rs 1 lakh each.
Police said Firoz Khan and Mazar Khan were arrested in Teliamura in May last year when they were found transporting 87 kg of dry cannabis in a lorry from Agartala.
The cannabis consignments had been kept hidden in the oil tank and the spare wheel.
The police registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and launched an investigation, keeping the accused in judicial custody.
Within two months, the police submitted the chargesheet, and the trial began.
As many as 12 witnesses testified for the prosecution, and after a year-long trial, additional district judge Rajib Bhattacharjee found the accused guilty, convicted them for 15 years, and also ordered the confiscation of the lorry and the cannabis.
