Brown sugar, over Rs 12L cash seized

Siliguri: The Matigara police and Special Operation Group (SOG) of Siliguri Metropolitan police busted a brown sugar manufacturing racket operating from a house in the Baniakhari area of Matigara. Acting on a tip-off, the police team raided the house and arrested three individuals, seizing over two kilograms of brown sugar, a large quantity of raw material used in drug production and cash amounting to Rs 12.63 lakh.

The arrested have been identified as Wahidur Sheikh, Sonam Shah and Abdul Raf Momin. According to police sources, Wahidur and Sonam are a married couple residing in the house where the drug production was taking place. Abdul, the third accused, is a resident of Kaliachak in Malda district who had brought the raw material to the house. Initial investigations revealed that the accused were running a full-fledged drug manufacturing operation from their residence.

They allegedly procured raw materials from outside sources, produced brown sugar within the premises and distributed it through an illegal smuggling network. The police produced the trio at Siliguri Court on Wednesday.