Namchi District Police arrested one Sobijan Subba of Ambotay, Chisopani, Namchi District, at his alternate house at Ghosaipur, Bagdogra, Siliguri, for smuggling narcotic substances to Sikkim from Siliguri.

A team of Sikkim Police led by; SDPO Jorethang DSP Mingyur, SHO Jorethang Umesh Pradhan, SHO Melli Kishore Chettri, PI Bhisan Rai and PI Monish Gurung, apprehended the accused from his residence at Siliguri, on May 08, before 1AM.

SSP Namchi, Karma Gyamtso Bhutia, at Jorethang Police Station has briefed the media on the particulars of accused Sobijan Subba, including his criminal records, his modes of operation from Siliguri and Jorethang, and the legal procedures Namchi District Police have taken on the arrest of the accused this time, and explained the dangers of letting him free from the law.

Criminal History:

According to SSP Namchi Karma Gyamtso, the accused Sobijan Subba has the record of being a drug peddler in Namchi District, since 2011, especially in Melli and Jorethang. And has already been arrested for the crime for six times from inside Sikkim. Last time he was arrested was on year 2022, the SSP informed.

A small time peddler is now a multi millionaire with multiple bank accounts, of which one of them has been frozen, while other bank managers have been requested for the same, SSP Gyamtso shared.

Another action taken by the Police after apprehension of the accused is to freeze his bank account with cash amount summing upto upper 20, after the interception of his drug supply from Jorethang on May 05, roughly estimated to have market value of upto rupees 30 lakhs.

The accused alone is said to be responsible for 80 per cent of total distribution of contraband and narcotic substances in Sikkim, according to Namchi District Police.

Modus Operandi:

SSP Namchi in Jorethang Thana have shared that the small time peddler turned smuggler, has chains of supplier from Siliguri to Jorethang. And from Jorethang, the accused has volunteers and local peddlers supplying substances to other parts of the state. The Police have also said that he has more than 15 sub-peddlers that have been recognised by Police who are currently being hunted for arrest.

In a more excruciating report, the Police have informed that numerous juveniles are recruited by the peddlers for drug peddling in Sikkim. SSP Namchi have commented that if these underage peddlers face trial under special magistrates, there is a very high chance of them being judged as the adults, after the landmark judgement for Nirbhaya Case, he explains.

The accused had a network of vehicles and trucks coming to Sikkim from Siliguri used for ferrying narcotic substances. And his peddlers from Namchi District were transferring cash earned from drug peddling through UPI and other modes of transactions into the bank accounts of the accused, the police informs.

“Almost 80 per cent of total drug trafficking in Sikkim was the operation of this single accused person,” SSP Namchi stated. He is hopeful that the eightypercent of total drug supply in Sikkim will reduce starting today.

Legal Procedures Against the Accused:

Namchi District Police have registered the accused under SADA Act, NDPS Act, and under organized crime of section 111 of BNS, it was informed.

After the accused was transported from Siliguri to Jorethang, he has been placed under Police remand in Jorethang PS.

While replying to the queries from the reporters, SSP Gyamtso, have replied that the case against the accused in West Bengal state are also being inquired. And the date of his first trial will soon be informed by Police. The police is expecting for his lifetime imprisonment, this time.

Dangers of letting off the accused from the law:

The accused is reported by Police to be currently of only 33 years old, and is already richer than most of the youths in Sikkim. The further growth of his wealth only gives him the power to manipulate people under his fingers, the police fears.

With his network that has proven to reach each villages of Namchi district, many peddlers will be rendered to use other means for drug supply, it was speculated by police.

In today’s press briefing, SSP Namchi have evolved his request to the general public from informing the Police anonymously, to give witness in court for five minutes.

“Please donot be afraid to give witness in court against drug peddling. It will be only for about five minutes, but you will be saving the future of the state,” SSP Gyamtso appeals.

The Namchi District Police are set to stop drug peddlers at their primary levels, and fears their growth in drug syndicate.