3 arrested for carrying Yaba tablets

Kolkata: The Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police nabbed two persons and seized nine packets of Amphetamine, commonly known as 'Yaba', in tablet form. One of them is a Bangladeshi national who came here in order to receive the consignment on Friday afternoon.

According to police, on Thursday afternoon, STF personnel learnt that a few drug peddlers would exchange a consignment of 'Yaba' tablets. Working on the information, the STF personnel kept a strict vigil in and around the Majherhat flyover and Durgapur Siding Road. Around 4:40 pm, police zeroed in on two persons with a bag. After searching their bag, seven packets containing 14,000 'Yaba' tablets, weighing about 15 kg, were seized. Later, the duo, identified as Kariful Shaikh of English Bazar in Malda and Md. Ismail Hossain of Chapainawabganj, Bangladesh.

Sources informed that the police came to know that Shaikh procured the 'Yaba' tablets from the North-East, which is suspected to have been smuggled to Bangladesh. However, the police are trying to figure out who else is connected with this racket.

After interrogating Shaikh, the cops arrested another person on Saturday, identified as Md. Kamal Hossain of Malda's Kaliachalk from Strand Road. During the search, 220 grams of 'Yaba' tablets were seized from his possession.

Earlier on July 25, STF officials got information about a few drug peddlers landing in Kolkata with a huge quantity of narcotics in a car. A team from the STF soon went to a spot on Basanti Highway under the jurisdiction of Pragati Maidan police station and waited for the vehicle. After almost an hour, the car was spotted. After the car was intercepted, it was searched and 1,00,000 'Yaba' tablets weighing about 10 kg was found.