Cooch Behar: Locals foil ration smuggling bid

Cooch Behar: Locals seized two e-rickshaws filled with Public Distribution System (ration) goods at Tufanganj Ramhari More in Cooch Behar district, preventing alleged smuggling, on Friday.

Around noon on Friday, two e-rickshaws were carrying ration items through Tufanganj Ramhari More when the locals got suspicious and stopped them. Upon intercepting the two e-rickshaws, locals found out that all the items they were carrying bore the Biswa Bangla logo. After questioning, they learned that the items were being transported to the Balabhut area near the India-Bangladesh border in the Tufanganj Sub-Division. However, the e-rickshaw drivers remained silent about the matter. The police arrested two e-rickshaw drivers and one individual.

Pralahhad Das, a local resident, said: “Ration items are taken to Balabhut in this way on a daily basis. There needs to be a thorough investigation into the origin and destination of these ration items, especially concerning their route towards the border area.” While no administrative official commented on this issue, Rajesh Tantri, vice-president of Tufanganj-1 Panchayat Samiti, said: “I have heard the matter. Legal action will be taken.”