Tripura, April 11: In yet another case highlighting the growing menace of agarwood theft in the region, unidentified miscreants stole two high-value agar trees from a private garden under the cover of night in Kadamtala. The incident took place in Ward No. 2 of Saraspur Gram Panchayat under the jurisdiction of Kadamtala Police Station. The victim, Sarat Nath, son of the late Sushil Nath, reported that a group of individuals from the Kalagangar Para area had visited his home on Wednesday during the day, expressing interest in purchasing the agarwood trees.
They negotiated prices and left but later that very night, the trees were allegedly stolen. “I suspect the same people who came to inspect the trees earlier are behind the theft,” Sarat Nath told reporters. He discovered the theft the following morning when he went to check his garden and found the two agar trees missing.
Shocked and distressed, he immediately rushed to Kadamtala Police Station and filed a written complaint. According to Nath, the stolen trees are valued at approximately Rs 1.5 lakh. The theft has left him financially devastated. “These trees were my only major asset. I’m left with nothing,” he said, urging the administration to act swiftly. Local sources report that such incidents are not isolated. Agarwood theft has become increasingly rampant in North Tripura, with organised gangs operating almost nightly.
These gangs reportedly steal agar trees from private gardens and smuggle them into Assam, where they fetch high prices. Despite repeated incidents, forest officials and local police have so far failed to catch the culprits or dismantle the smuggling networks. Residents are now demanding stronger surveillance and urgent intervention from authorities to curb the rising threat of agarwood theft in the district.
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