Police STF arrest 4, recover illegal arms and ammunition from their car in North 24 Pgs

Based on a tip-off about an arms smuggling operation, the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal conducted a late-night raid on April 17, in Haroa, North 24 Parganas. The STF team intercepted a white Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire suspected to be involved in transporting illegal arms.

Four individuals were arrested from the car during the operation. They have been identified as Amirul Mondal (33), Habil Mollah (40) who was driving the vehicle, Abu Sahid Gazi (26), and Giyasuddin Gazi (24) — all residents of Haroa. Authorities believe they were attempting to smuggle the firearms and sell them to criminal groups.

A major cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the vehicle. The seized items include one single-barrel long firearm, one DBBL (Double Barrel Breech Loading) firearm, and one improvised 7mm semi-automatic pistol, along with two empty magazines. In addition to this, police found six rounds of 12 bore live ammunition and eleven rounds of 7.65 mm live ammunition.

The operation was swift and executed without any confrontation. The vehicle used in the smuggling attempt — a white Swift Dzire — has also been seized by the STF. Following the arrest, a formal case has been registered at Haroa Police Station, and further investigation is currently underway.

Officials suspect that the accused were part of a larger network involved in arms trafficking across the region. The STF is now working to trace the origin and intended recipients of the weapons. The operation highlights the increased vigilance by security forces to curb illegal arms trade in West Bengal.