Malda/Raiganj: In a sweeping two-day anti-narcotics operation, police in Malda and North Dinajpur districts have made multiple arrests and seized a massive haul of contraband, dealing a major blow to drug trafficking in north Bengal.
In Malda, a series of raids were conducted between September 17 and 18. At Kaliachak Chowrangi, officers arrested 32-year-old Rinku Mondal with 102 grams of brown sugar.
In a late-night operation at Bajapti, Baishnabnagar police nabbed 31-year-old Sarif Sheikh after discovering 500 grams of brown sugar hidden beneath his motorcycle seat, valued at nearly Rs 50 lakh.
Another breakthrough came when Golapganj outpost officials recovered 1.03 kg of brown sugar, worth around Rs 1 crore, from the residence of Suvajit Mandal at Balufarra. Suvajit and his associate, Tapan Mandal, were taken into custody as investigators pursue leads on a larger racket.
Three Siliguri residents—Goutam Das (29), Rahul Saha (20), and Nupur Mondal (25)—were also caught near Malda Town Station carrying 33.56 kg of ganja.
North Dinajpur police simultaneously seized nearly 1.8 kg of brown sugar.
Acting on a tip-off, Raiganj crime branch intercepted a bus and arrested Surajit Mandal (19) of Kaliachak with 1.03 kg of the drug worth Rs 12 lakh.
In a parallel Dalkhola raid, Sahab Mahammad, also from Kaliachak, was found with 750 grams.
Authorities estimate the combined haul to be worth several crores and are working to track the wider network and identify the kingpin.