Alipurduar, Nov. 3 -- Police have arrested three betel nut traders from Falakata for their alleged involvement in the illegal storage and trade of imported betel nuts. Following their arrest, police seized 1,17,200 kg of betel nuts from several godowns across the town. The estimated market value of the seized consignment is around Rs 8 crore.
The arrested traders have been identified as Bapan Saha alias Chutki, Sujan Barman and Nil Kamal Saha, all residents of Deshbandhu Para in Falakata. The arrests have triggered a stir across the town.
Police interrogated the accused following their arrest, leading to the discovery of several godowns where the betel nuts had allegedly been stored illegally. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari praised the Alipurduar District Police for the operation in a post on his X account on Tuesday.
"Our government remains steadfast in its commitment to zero tolerance against all forms of illicit trade, smuggling and organised rackets across Bengal.
I commend the Alipurduar District Police for their vigilance, proactiveness and dedication to upholding law and order. No one involved in anti-social or unlawful activities will be spared," the Chief Minister wrote. Police have registered a case against the accused under specific sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and produced them before the Alipurduar District Court. Investigators have sought seven days of police remand for further interrogation.
Alipurduar Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar Shah said: "We have found specific evidence linking the accused to illegal international betel nut trading. We will not spare anyone involved in such illegal activities."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.