Kolkata, Jan 20 (IANS) Malda Superintendent of Police Abhijit Bandyopadhyay on Tuesday said that police in Bengal’s Malda district have arrested two persons and recovered a substantial quantity of arms and ammunition in two separate operations ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

According to SP Bandyopadhyay, acting on confidential information, officers from English Bazar and Kaliachak police stations conducted independent raids on Monday night, leading to the seizure of 15 firearms, eight magazines, and 25 rounds of live ammunition.

In the first incident, a team from English Bazar police station raided a local area based on specific input and detained a young man found in possession of ten pipe guns, one 7 mm pistol, and five rounds of live ammunition, including one shotgun cartridge.

The arrested individual has been identified as Moinul Hasan (20), a resident of Mirzadpur under Lalbagh police station in neighbouring Murshidabad district.

In the second operation, officers from Kaliachak police station raided a shop in the Sujapur area following a separate tip‑off. The search led to the recovery of four 7 mm pistols, eight magazines, and 20 rounds of live ammunition.

Police arrested Mohammad Anarul Haque (45), a resident of Baliharapur under the same police station.

According to SP Bandyopadhyay, Haque had previously been arrested under the Arms Act.

“Based on confidential information, two people have been arrested from the English Bazar and Kaliachak police station areas. A total of 15 firearms, eight magazines, and 25 rounds of live ammunition have been recovered from their possession. Cases have been registered under relevant sections in both incidents, and the arrested individuals were produced before the Malda District Court today with a request for police custody,” SP Bandyopadhyay said.

He added that initial investigations suggest the arrested men had procured the firearms with the intention of selling them. Police are now probing the source of the weapons seized in English Bazar and identifying potential recipients. The four 7 mm pistols recovered from Kaliachak are suspected to have been brought from Bihar, he said.

“We will conduct further investigations by taking the arrested individuals into police custody,” SP Bandyopadhyay stated.

— IANS

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