A significant amount of firearms was found in Murshidabad district just before the state Assembly elections, as per the police. The Special Operations Group of the district police apprehended three individuals red-handed with the weapons.
The detained suspects have been named as Rafiqul Mandal, Kausar Ali, and Sakirul Sheikh. Among the items confiscated by the police were 300 rounds of ammunition, two makeshift pistols, magazines, and fake Indian currency amounting to Rs 10,000.
Authorities have initiated the interrogation of the trio. It is suspected that the arrested individuals had assembled the weapons for potential smuggling purposes. Investigations are ongoing to determine the intended recipients and purposes of these firearms. Additionally, authorities are exploring the possibility of any sabotage connections in this incident.
In a recent operation, the police arrested the three near a private medical center in the Subhashnagar area of Berhampore on Wednesday evening. The police had received prior intelligence regarding the suspects’ movements, leading to a successful arrest operation at the location with the help of confidential sources.
Murshidabad Police District Additional Superintendent of Police Majid Iqbal Khan stated that the primary objective of the suspects was to trade firearms and ammunition. Thanks to a joint effort by Amit Bhakta, the head of the district police’s Special Operations Group, and officers from Baharampur police station, the trio was apprehended before any exchange took place.
According to police reports, Rafiqul Mandal, one of the arrested individuals, hails from the Islampur region and has a history of previous criminal cases, including alleged involvement in a firearms trafficking network. Further details about the activities of the detained individuals will surface once the interrogation process concludes.
The incident has raised concerns about the escalation of such illicit activities in the district ahead of the critical Assembly elections.
