Kolkata, Aug 12 (IANS) In a joint operation, the Special Operation Group (SOG) of West Bengal’s Murshidabad District Police and officers of Jiaganj Police Station arrested two persons with a large number of firearms, magazines and cartridges, the police said on Wednesday.
Five 7 mm pistols, 10 empty magazines and 35 cartridges of 7 mm bore diameter were recovered from the arrested persons. The arrested accused have been identified as Khalek Sheikh and Suraj Mandal, both residents of Baishnabnagar area of the neighbouring Malda district.
In this regard, Superintendent of Murshidabad Police District, Sachin Makkar, said that the two worked as suppliers. “They were caught in the police net late on Tuesday night when they tried to change hands on the weapons. Efforts are being made to arrest the main leaders of the arms smuggling ring by taking the arrested into custody. An investigation is underway to find out who was given the firearms in Murshidabad. We are investigating the matter thoroughly,” said the senior police officer.
The judge granted the request for seven-day police custody of the arrested persons after they were taken to the Berhampore District Court on Wednesday.
The accused told the police that they had entered Murshidabad via Dhulian Ferry Ghat. From there, they boarded a train at Nimtita to Azimganj and crossed the Ganges again.
On the other hand, the Rejinagar Assembly by-election is scheduled to be held in Murshidabad district in a couple of months. A section of the police suspect that the firearms were planned to be sent to Rejinagar. Other sources claimed that they were being stored in Jiaganj for the purpose of smuggling to Bangladesh.
Sources from district police officials said that on more than one occasion, cheap firearms are entering Murshidabad from Munger in Bihar through the Farakka, Umarpur, and Shamsherganj corridors. Those weapons are spreading to Murshidabad and Nadia districts. Some are also crossing the border to neighbouring Bangladesh.
–IANS
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