Four held from Malda as West Bengal STF busts interstate drug ring

Four people were arrested after the West Bengal Police’s Special Task Force (STF) busted an inter-state drug ring at Kaliachak in Malda district on Saturday (October 31, 2026) night.

According to officials, the operation was part of the STF’s ongoing crackdown on narcotics syndicates. On Saturday (October 31), an STF team intercepted a vehicle on National Highway 12 near Madhughat in Kaliachak and recovered 2.688 kg of morphine, estimated to be worth around ₹3 million.

Four key operatives, including the main contractor Sahibar Ali, were arrested. All four are residents of Malda. A case has been registered under the Narcotic and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) at the Kaliachak police station.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari praised the officers for acting quickly on a tip-off regarding the smuggling operation. “Let me remind drug smugglers, extortionists and syndicate operators: they will be dealt with with an iron fist as our government maintains an uncompromising policy of zero tolerance against drug smuggling to protect the future of our youth and strengthen our collective resolve under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan,” he said.

Earlier, on October 21, an STF team raided a spot in Baishnabnagar in Malda district and seized 505 gm of morphine. A 26-year-old man, Sahinur Ali, a resident of Kaliachak, was arrested. Investigation revealed that the narcotics came from Ershad Alom of Thoubal in Manipur to Habibur of Sujapur Danga in Malda.

On October 11, police arrested five more people at Nimta in North 24 Parganas district. They seized 90 kg of ganja with an estimated value of around ₹ 44.5 lakh, ₹ 5 lakh in unaccounted cash and three vehicles. Two of those arrested were from Odisha and had allegedly come to deliver the contraband, while the others were the intended recipients.

Earlier, as part of the state government’s anti-drug campaign, Mr Adhikari had driven over nearly two bottles of banned cough syrup with a road roller in September at Balurghat in Dakshin Dinajpur district. The event was intended to send a strong signal about the government’s policy of zero tolerance towards illegal drugs. Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar and Minister of State for Health Sharadwat Mukherjee also attended the programme.

On September 23, Mr. Adhikari also drove a road roller through around 3.1 million bottles of banned cough syrup at the ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ program in New Town in North 24 Parganas district. The value of the seized bottles was estimated at ₹31 crore.

Published – November 1, 2026 13:08 IST