In a significant anti-narcotics operation, the Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate (ADPC) arrested four youths from Murshidabad and seized 57.471 kilograms of ganja from their possession. The arrest was made near Jhansi Rani Maidan beside Asansol Railway Station on Wednesday afternoon.
The Accused:
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
Sabir Sheikh (26) – Domkal
Sahabul Sheikh (19) – Raninagar PS area
Hasanur Jaman Mondal (29) – Sagarpara PS area
Sintu Sheikh (38) – Sagarpara PS area
All are residents of Murshidabad district in West Bengal.
Acting on a specific intelligence tip-off, officers from Asansol North Police intercepted the accused, who had allegedly smuggled the ganja from Odisha, boarded a train from Dhanbad, and arrived at Asansol to deliver the consignment to the next point in the chain. The contraband was found concealed in plastic containers.
Preliminary investigation suggests that the NH-19 corridor is being increasingly used by inter-state drug smugglers. This route, passing through West Burdwan district, is now under heightened surveillance due to a surge in narcotics trafficking.
A case has been registered under Sections 20(b)(ii)(C), 25, and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985 at Asansol North Police Station. Investigating Officer Sub-Inspector Aswini Kumar Mondal sought 14-day police custody, but the court granted 7 days for custodial interrogation.
Authorities confirmed that there has been a sharp rise in drug-related arrests and seizures across multiple police stations under ADPC since January, as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle drug networks operating along key interstate corridors.