Malda, Sept. 15 -- Malda Police have arrested two 24-year-old men with four illegal firearms in Kaliachak, suspecting that the weapons were procured from Bihar and were being taken towards Bangladesh for smuggling. In a separate operation, police also seized around 6 kg of brown sugar worth nearly Rs 2 crore and arrested a 61-year-old alleged
drug peddler.
The two suspects, identified as Subarna Mondal alias Bubai and Dipankar Mondal, both residents of Milik Sultanpur in Kaliachak, were arrested on Monday afternoon from the Naldahari area under Golapganj police outpost. Police intercepted the duo while they were allegedly moving suspiciously on a motorcycle. A search led to the recovery of four pipe guns from their possession.
Malda SP Anupam Singh said: "We are investigating where the accused procured the illegal firearms from and where they were taking them and for what purpose. Preliminary investigation suggests that they may have procured the firearms from Bihar and planned to smuggle them into Bangladesh."
The accused were produced before the Malda district court on Tuesday with a prayer for police custody. Meanwhile, police have taken into custody a 61-year-old man, identified as Anjul Sheikh, in connection with the seizure of nearly 6 kg of brown sugar from South Raipur in Mojampur on Sunday night.
"Brown sugar worth nearly Rs 2 crore was recovered from his possession. We are investigating where he obtained such a large consignment, where it was intended to be smuggled and who else is involved in the trafficking network," SP Singh said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.