Alipurduar police seized foreign cigarettes worth ₹82 lakh from a truck on Thursday night.
Sources said a team from the Birpara police station led by Nayan Das, the officer-in-charge, intercepted the truck on Asian Highway-48 near the power grid office in Bripara. Initially, they found the vehicle was loaded with tea packages.
“The cigarette cartons were concealed under these packages. Altogether, 24 cartons were seized,” said a police officer.
The police also arrested Krishan Kumar, the driver who revealed that the illegal consignment was loaded somewhere in Assam and was supposed to be delivered in Haryana.
On Friday, he was produced at a local court in Alipurduar. The court heard the case and ordered five days of police custody for him.
Cannabis destroyed
The police in Cooch Behad destroyed illegal cannabis plantations in the Mathabhanga area of the district on Friday.
Sources said a special drive was conducted in Kodalkheti village under the jurisdiction of Nishiganj-I panchayat of Mathabhanga police station.
“Cannabis saplings planted across an area measuring 15 bighas have been chopped off. Such drives will prevent illegal cultivation of cannabis in the district,” said a police officer.
