Bengal: brown sugar worth Rs 4 cr seized in Malda, two arrested

Kolkata, Aug 12 (IANS) Police have foiled another drug smuggling attempt centred around Kaliachak in Malda district. Acting on specific intelligence, personnel of Kaliachak police station seized about three kilogrammes of high‑quality brown sugar early on Wednesday morning and arrested two smugglers.

Officials said the estimated market value of the recovered contraband is around Rs 4 crore. The arrested were produced before the Malda district court on Wednesday with a request for 10‑day police custody. Court sources said the Chief Sessions Judge ordered seven‑day custody.

Police said they had received information on Tuesday evening that a large quantity of drugs would be smuggled through the Haruchak Matiali area. Acting on this, plainclothes personnel were deployed across the locality. Around 1 a.m., officers became suspicious of two youths whose movements appeared unusual. They were detained and, after failing to provide satisfactory answers during questioning, were searched. A substantial quantity of drugs was found in their bag.

The two were taken to the police station and formally arrested after initial interrogation. Police identified them as Nur Alam (21) and Sariqul Sheikh (28), residents of the Srirampur area of Kismatpur village under Kaliachak police station. About 2 kilos and 850 grams of brown sugar were seized from their possession.

A case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. Police said custody was sought to trace the source of the drugs, the intended destination and other individuals involved in the racket.

Malda district Superintendent of Police Anupam Singh said, “The police of Kaliachak police station have arrested two people with about three kilos of drugs. A police investigation has been started into the incident. The arrested were produced before the Malda district court today on a request for police custody. The district police are determined to stop the drug trade in this district. For that, police surveillance is going on across the district.”

–IANS

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