One arrested with 140 gm hashish

Kolkata: In a major breakthrough, police arrested a key member of a drug peddling racket arrested from Ekbalpore.

The arrested person, Ali Akbar, has been remanded to judicial custody till November 12 after being produced before a city court.

Police said the investigating officers were in search of the person for the past few days. It was on Wednesday night, when they received information that he could be available in one of his hideouts. Acting on a tip off, police conducted raids at the hideouts and arrested him. Police recovered 140 gram of hashish from him.

It may be recalled that four persons were arrested a few weeks ago from the city itself as a preliminary investigation had revealed their involvement in the international drug smuggling racket. They were arrested with YABA (methamphetamine) tablets.

The police came to know about Ali Akbar from Ekbalpore following the arrest of the four persons and initiated taking steps to arrest him.

It may be mentioned that on November 3 police had arrested an Assamese national on charges of smuggling drugs and recovered around 1,000 YABA tablets from the person, who is a resident of Nagaon district in Assam. He was arrested from Beniapukur. He was staying in a hotel on Tiljala Road.

The police are maintaining strict vigil at nightclubs in and around the city to check use of such drugs.

In the past few years, the police have taken several steps to check smuggling of drugs and arrested many. They are also considering the arrest of Ali Akbar as a major breakthrough.