Heroin worth about Rs 8 crore seized, 3 held

Gourab Neto, MP, 23 Feb 2024 : The Special Task Force (STF) of the state police foiled an attempt to smuggle heroin through the India Post services to Bengal from North East and seized contraband worth about Rs 8 crore.

The cops have also arrested three persons from Howrah Railway Station and Cossimbazar in Murshidabad. According to STF officials, they were tipped off about a narcotics smuggling racket sending the contraband from North East states to Bengal through Indian Post services in order to evade vigilance. 

One of the members of the said racket was coming to Kolkata via Howrah Railway Station. Accordingly on Wednesday afternoon, cops were keeping a strict vigil inside the Howrah Railway Station compound and intercepted a man identified as Shafi Islam Sheikh of Berhampur in Murshidabad. 

After interrogating him, cops came to know about the new style of transporting contraband in Bengal from the North East. 

After bringing the contraband, the same used to be delivered to several clients in different parts of the state. Sheikh also reportedly told the cops that two persons who were engaged by him, have already received two such parcels from Beldanga and Nabagram post offices in Murshidabad on Wednesday. 

The consignment will also be delivered to a place selected earlier. Immediately, the STF counterpart in Murshidabad was informed and another team conducted a raid at Karbala Road area in Cossimbazar. 

During the raid, cops nabbed two others identified as Guddu Sheikh and Suraj Sheikh red-handed while riding their two-wheeler. During the search, cops seized four kg of heroin from the duo. 

A case has been registered against the three persons at Berhampore Police Station.