Kolkata, Nov 5 — The Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal police has seized a massive cache of explosives during a raid at an unauthorised premises in Baroa Gopalpur village under the Murarai police station limits of Birbhum district, leading to the arrest of two persons.
According to an STF official, those arrested have been identified as Md. Reza Sekh alias Guda from Rajgram and Mukesh Singh from Tilpara in Suri.
The seized materials include 1,150 gelatin sticks, 989 detonators, and 12000 meters of detonating cord, the police said.
The STF official said that a case has been initiated and further investigation is underway. The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of WB STF is also looking into the recovery of explosives.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation, a total of 21 illegal firearms (6 long muskets, four 7mm Pistols, 11 pipe guns) and 65 rounds of ammunition (forty-seven 8mm Ammunition and eighteen 7.65mm Ammunition) were recovered from Jamuria in West Burdwan district.
A person named S.K. Sahajan was arrested in connection with this incident.
According to the STF official, this person is a history sheeter and is an anti-social element who has been a part of the illegal coal trade.
"The recoveries were made from the Pandabeswar Police Station area, under Asansol Durgapur Police Commissionerate on Tuesday and Thursday. This is in continuation of the earlier two arrests of Khairul Alam with two illegal firearms and Md Shamsher with 15 Illegal Firearms. A total of 38 firearms and 122 rounds of ammunition have been seized in this case. Further investigation and raids are underway," said the official.
It may be recalled that in September, the STF West Bengal Police arrested two persons and seized nearly 1 kg of heroin during an operation in Jotkamal area under Raghunathganj Police Station in Murshidabad district.
The arrested persons were identified as 60-year-old Sadhana Haldar and Taibur Rahman. They hail from the Lalgola area of Murshidabad. A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, was registered against them.