Crackdown: Cops seize thousands of cough syrup bottles, sleeping pills; arrest several people

Siliguri/ Alipurduar: A civic volunteer and a man were arrested with a large quantity of morphine in Naxalbari. The accused civic volunteer has been identified as Shyam Lal Singha, a resident of the Mallabari area in Naxalbari. He was serving as a civic volunteer at the Naxalbari Police Station. Another accused has been identified as Sahadev Barman, who hails from Kamala Jot in Naxalbari.

On Monday night, the duo were caught by the jawans of SSB 41 Battalion in Bengaijote area on the Asian Highway in Naxalbari. A total of 234 grams of morphine was seized from their possession. Following their arrest, both were handed over to the Naxalbari police and presented before the Siliguri Sub-Divisional Court on Tuesday. Praveen Prakash, the Superintendent of Darjeeling Police, said: “We have taken legal action against many civic volunteers before, when we found them involved in illegal activities.

If the allegations against him are proven, disciplinary action will be taken against him as well. He has already been arrested.” In a separate operation, the Anti-Crime Wing of the New Jalpaiguri Police Station, acting on a confidential tip-off, conducted a late-night raid in the Gathamabari area of Fulbari.

Two youths, Md. Russell from Kalangini and Mohammad Abbas from Amadeighi in Fulbari, were arrested with 100 grams of brown sugar. The accused were presented before the Jalpaiguri court on Tuesday. Investigations are ongoing for both incidents.

Meanwhile, a woman working as a cook at the canteen of the Jateshwar Police Outpost under Falakata Police Station has been arrested for drug trafficking. The accused, Anima Majumdar of Shishubari (Madarihat PS), was allegedly running a drug business from a rented house in Hedayet Nagar, Jateshwar. On Monday night, a police team led by Falakata IC Abhishek Bhattacharya raided the house and seized banned pharmaceutical drugs worth approximately Rs 10 lakh. The haul included 2,291 bottles of cough syrup and 3,120 strips of sleeping pills. Anima and her associate, Rabiul Islam, were arrested from the spot.

In a separate operation the same night, police arrested Bhajan Roy and Manoj Giri from the Goalpara area in Baradoba, Falakata, with 24 grams of brown sugar. Bhajan is a resident of Babu Para (Ward 15), while Manoj lives in NM Colony of the same ward.

Jaigaon SDPO Prashant Debnath said: “In two separate raids, four persons were arrested with cough syrup, sleeping pills and brown sugar. Our crackdown on illegal drugs will continue.”