14 kg cannabis seized in Jalpaiguri; Smuggler caught in toto rickshaw

Jalpaiguri Kotwali Police arrested Madan Barman, a 48-year-old resident of Sitai in Cooch Behar district, for attempting to smuggle 14.67 kilograms of cannabis. The arrest followed a tip-off received by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jalpaiguri district police on Friday evening. The information stated that a toto rickshaw, traveling from Maynaguri to Jalpaiguri, was being used to smuggle the drugs along the Teesta River embankment.

The police quickly responded by setting up a trap near the Senpara embankment market area. During the operation, officers stopped a suspicious toto rickshaw and conducted a search of its passengers. The search led to the discovery of the cannabis hidden with Barman. Investigations revealed that the cannabis was being transported to Jalpaiguri Town Station, with plans to send it to Malda via the railway station.

Following the arrest, the cannabis, weighing 14 kilograms and 67 grams, was seized in the presence of a magistrate. A case has been filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Barman is set to be presented in court on Sunday. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are continuing to examine the potential network involved in the smuggling operation.