Drug syndicate busted, four arrested: Noida police
Noida (UP), Dec 24 : The police here have arrested four persons, including a couple, and seized over 26 kg of cannabis from them, claiming Monday to have busted an "organised syndicate" of drug dealers operating in the national capital region,
A team from Sector 20 police station apprehended the four Sunday in a raid at their hideout in a jhhugi cluster in Noida, Sector 18, an official said.
Those arrested included Hema, the syndicate's kingpin, her husband Sanjay alias Babu and their aides Pappu and Sajid, a senior officials said, adding that a man, who claims to be a journalist, is linked to the gang but is absconding.
As much as 26.5 kg of cannabis and a cash of Rs 35,000 as sale proceed of the contraband were seized from the accused," Superintendent of Police (Crime) Ashok Kumar said.
The officer described the gangsters' hideout as a "factory-like establishment" from where, he said, 10 kg of plastic used to make small packets, packaging equipment and weighing machine too were seized.
The gang procured cannabis from Ghaziabad and Bihar, among other places, and sealed it here in small plastic packets for local sale, Kumar said.
They sold the cannabis in packages worth Rs 50, Rs 100 and Rs 200, he said.
Dubbing the couple as kingpin of the gang, the SP said they had been involved in the illegal trade for quite some time now.
The couple and their accomplices have a criminal record too, Kumar said.
Two other gang members, identified as Prakash and Lalit Mohan, are absconding," the officer said, adding the latter one claims to be a journalist.
Asked about the role of the accused who claims to be a journalist, the officer said during interrogation it has emerged that he was an active member of the gang.
He is said to have facilitated the gang's work at different places and had an important role in its operations, the SP said.
A sedan, used by Babu to ferry the cannabis across the NCR, too was impounded, the police said.
Sector 20 Station House Officer Manoj Pant said the gang was on the police radar for long and its kingpin, Hema, had a well-connected network across the NCR.
Some months back, we had carried out an operation against drug traffickers and peddlers during which we had raided several slums. Hema especially was on our target but had managed to escape then to Bihar. She has finally been caught after a long chase, Pant, who led the raid Sunday, told PTI.
He said the gang's network was so effective that the amount seized from the scene (26.5 kg) was only for a day's consumption.
Those arrested have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, among other charges, the police said.
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NIA registers case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.
The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.
In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.
"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.
It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.
The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.
The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.
The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.
The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.
