Central Railway RPF nab 1300 touts, contraband worth Rs 43.6 lakh seized across all 5 divisions

Mumbai: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Central Railway apprehended over 1300 touts, seized contraband worth Rs 43.6 lakh, and returned lost luggage worth Rs 3.09 crore to its rightful owners in the first quarter of this year. The data, across all five divisions of Central Railway, was released on Thursday.

Operation Uplabdh: To safeguard the rights of passengers with reserved tickets, RPF intensified its drives against unauthorized entry into reserved coaches and obstruction caused to bonafide passengers. From January to April 2026, 1,377 cases were registered and 1,367 persons were apprehended across Central Railway. Fines upto Rs 2.87 lakh were collected.

Operation Narcos and Operation Satark: Sending a strict message of zero tolerance towards misuse of the railway network for transportation of contraband, RPF cracked down on narcotics, tobacco & illicit liquor and made seizures worth Rs 43.67 lakh. Under Operation Narcos, from January to April 2026, 13 cases of illegal transportation of marijuana were detected and contraband valued at Rs 21.92 lakh was seized. Ten offenders were arrested.

Operation Amanat: Under Operation Amanat, RPF personnel ensured safe retrieval and return of passenger’s lost belongings worth Rs 3.09 crore. From January to April 2026, 744 pieces of luggage valued at Rs 3.09 crore were recovered and handed over to rightful owners after verification.

Central Railway has appealed to passengers to travel with valid tickets, avoid approaching unauthorized agents, and report suspicious activity or unclaimed baggage to RPF/GRP or the ‘139’ helpline.