Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata
Kolkata, Nov 8: The West Bengal Police seized large quantities of marijuana and other narcotic substances from two locations in separate districts on Sunday and arrested two persons in connection with the cases, officials said.
The first seizure took place early in the morning at Chandipur village under Jhargram police station in Jhargram district, where police recovered three sacks containing marijuana from the house of a person identified as Biswajit Shil.
Acting on a tip-off, personnel from Jhargram police station conducted a raid and search operation at Shil’s residence. Initially, nothing suspicious was found inside the house. However, during a detailed search, the police noticed that the floor was uneven and became suspicious.
When they began digging the soil, they found three sacks buried in rows. The sacks were taken out and opened, revealing large quantities of marijuana packed inside.
An officer of Jhargram police station confirmed that a total of 43 kg and 222 gm of marijuana had been recovered.
Jhargram Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Rishabhraj Dev said Biswajit had been arrested and booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
In a separate operation, the state police arrested a person at Lalgola in Murshidabad district on Sunday and recovered 324 gm of heroin from his possession. The estimated value of the seized narcotics is around Rs 37 lakh.
The arrested person has been identified as Muhammad Mahfuz Alam. Police also seized his mobile phone and motorcycle. He is being questioned, and investigators are trying to obtain information about his alleged associates in the racket. He has also been booked under the NDPS Act, 1985.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari issued a social media statement praising the West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police for their action against organised narcotics networks in different parts of the state.
In his message, the Chief Minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government followed a zero-tolerance policy towards illicit narcotics.
“During a statewide Special Drive conducted from October 31 to November 7, our law enforcement forces achieved decisive results, making 378 arrests across 212 NDPS cases and seizing illicit narcotics valued at Rs 64 crore (along with Rs 17 lakh in cash) and disposed of seized drugs worth Rs 101 crore,” Adhikari said.
He further claimed that during the same period, police destroyed illicit marijuana cultivation amounting to 10,000 kg, attached properties worth Rs 1 crore and initiated 68 financial investigations against 110 accused.
“I commend our police personnel for their relentless commitment to keeping West Bengal safe and drug-free in line with the #NashaMuktBharat Abhiyan,” he added.