Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Oct 20: A woman from Bihar was arrested on Monday in West Bengal’s Malda district with over Rs 1.5 crore worth of banned narcotics, in what police suspect is part of a wider interstate drug smuggling network.

The accused, identified as Kanchan Devi from Bhagalpur in Bihar, was caught near a busy crossing in the Kaliachak area by officers from Baishnabnagar Police Station. Acting on a tip-off, police found her behaviour suspicious and questioned her. After she gave inconsistent answers, officers searched her handbag and found 1.34 kilograms of brown sugar — a potent illegal drug with a street value of around Rs 1.5 crore.

She was taken into custody and produced before a Malda district court the same day, which remanded her to police custody for further interrogation.

During initial questioning, she allegedly admitted to collecting the narcotics from Malda with the intention of transporting them to Bihar. Investigators believe she is part of a larger smuggling ring using Malda as a transit hub.

“We suspect she is just one link in a much bigger network,” a senior district police official said, adding that efforts are now underway to identify and apprehend others involved in the racket.