The special operations group of Siliguri Metropolitan Police, along with a team of New Jalpaiguri police station, in a joint raid on Thursday in Siliguri, seized narcotics worth around Rs 1.4 crore from a trio.

Police arrested the three persons, including two women, who were carrying 700 grams of brown sugar (a derivative of heroin), at Kamrangaguri, a locality in the southern part of Siliguri.

Those arrested hail from different districts.

While Saniur Sheikh is a resident of Kaliachak in Malda district, Ayesha Begum is from Islampur in North Dinajpur district, and Menoka Khatun is from Matigara, which is on the outskirts of Siliguri.

“We suspect that all three of them are members of a drug smuggling racket. They need to be grilled for more information about the racket,” said a police officer.

‘Illegal’ entry

Five Bangladeshi residents, including a woman, were arrested in Jalpaiguri district for allegedly illegally crossing the border on Thursday. Sources said a team of Manikganj police outpost, which functions under Kotwali police station and is in Jalpaiguri Sadar block, caught Liton Sheikh, Hriday Sheikh, Jabidul Sikdar, Anarul Mian and Parveen Begum, all from Narail district in Bangladesh.

Some phones with Bangladeshi SIM cards and currency notes of the neighbouring country were seized from them, police said.