Malda Superintendent of Police Abhijit Bandyopadhyay announced the arrest of two individuals in Malda district, West Bengal, along with the recovery of a significant cache of arms and ammunition in separate operations before the upcoming Assembly elections. Acting on confidential tips, police from English Bazar and Kaliachak police stations conducted raids resulting in the confiscation of 15 firearms, eight magazines, and 25 rounds of live ammunition.
In the first operation, officers from English Bazar police station detained Moinul Hasan (20) in possession of ten pipe guns, a 7 mm pistol, and live ammunition after a raid based on specific information. Hasan, a resident of Mirzadpur in Murshidabad district, was found with five rounds of live ammunition, including a shotgun cartridge. In a separate raid by Kaliachak police station, Mohammad Anarul Haque (45) was arrested in possession of four 7 mm pistols, eight magazines, and 20 rounds of live ammunition in the Sujapur area.
Superintendent of Police Bandyopadhyay mentioned that Haque had a previous arrest under the Arms Act. The recovered firearms were suspected to have been intended for sale, prompting ongoing investigations into the sources of the weapons seized in English Bazar and potential buyers. The four 7 mm pistols seized in Kaliachak were believed to have been brought from Bihar, as per initial assessments. Both arrested individuals were presented before the Malda District Court for further legal proceedings.
