Update:  Jomotsangkha police are still on the look out for the 44-year old farmer from Lauri gewog who was suspected to be involved in the illegal transaction of controlled substances and had absconded about three months ago.

Although police had arrested another 66-year old farmer related to the same case on June 30, the 44-year old man was the prime suspect. He was suspected to have kept six sacks of marijuana weighing about 200kg with his friend.

The 66-year old man who has been released on surety as of now, was arrested following a tip off. Police  seized the dried marijuana stacks from his house in Jampani in Langchenphug gewog, a few km from Jomotsangkha dungkhag.

But he had denied the sacks belonging to him and claimed that he was not aware about their contents.

The prime suspect who is a lay monk had fled from the scene after learning about the raid through his sources and is suspected to have escaped to Arunachal Pradesh, India through the porous border.

A police official said they have already written to the local administration office in Arunachal Pradesh and their counterparts are still looking for him.

The marijuana stacks are still with the police, as they cannot dispose until the case is forwarded to the court.

“Unless we get hold of the prime suspect, it would be impossible to charge the case to court because only he can tell the facts,” a police official said.

Police record shows that the prime suspect was a repeated offender and was arrested for a similar case in 2013 and was imprisoned for one year and four months. He was released after paying a compensation of 60,000 in lieu of imprisonment.

Yangchen C Rinzin,  Samdrupjongkhar