Brown sugar haul: 5 arrested in separate raids

Malda: In a major crackdown on narcotics, officers of Baishnabnagar Police Station, acting on a tip-off, arrested two individuals near 18 Mile on NH-12 on June 22. The arrested were identified as Chotan Mandal (32), a resident of Shuklaltola under Kaliachak Police Station, and Sanatan Mandal (23) of Mandai under Baishnabnagar Police Station. Chotan arrived on a motorcycle while Sanatan came in a toto. Around 350 grams of brown sugar, valued at approximately Rs 30 lakh, was recovered during the handover of the contraband. During initial interrogation, Chotan confessed to procuring the substance from Gopalpur under Golapganj area.

Later that night, another successful raid was carried out by the officer in-charge of Golapganj Outpost under Kaliachak Police Station at Sahilapur Ghoshpara. Three more individuals — Abdul Rasid alias Altar (30), Sanaul Hoque (21) and Rajikul Islam (21) — from different locations in Kaliachak, were arrested. A motorcycle and six plastic packets containing 606 grams of suspected brown sugar, valued at around Rs 50 lakh, were seized.

In another late-night raid on Sunday near the Grand Hotel at Kaliachak Chowrasta, Malda, police seized 502 grams of suspected brown sugar in five packets. Two accused, Chhotelal Yadav (43) of Bihar and Abdul Wahab Mahaldar (32) of Kaliachak, were arrested. A case has been registered and further investigations to nab associates are underway.