Three suspected smugglers were arrested with 280 grams of brown sugar, a derivative of heroin, at Bhittabari located around 15km from here late on Thursday evening.

The trio were held in a joint raid conducted by the special operation group (SOG) of Siliguri Metropolitan Police and a team of Bagdogra police.

“Our men intercepted an SUV and found the narcotics from the vehicle. The trio have been arrested under the NDPS Act,” said a police officer.

Those arrested have been identified as Umesh Chhetri, a resident of Malbazar in Jalpaiguri district, and Raju Sheikh and Mustafa Khan, who hail from Kaliachak in Malda district.

The estimated price of the seized narcotic is around Rs 30 lakh, sources said.

In another incident, 110 cartons of IMFL (Indian Made Foreign Liquor), which was meant for sale in Arunachal Pradesh, was seized from a pick-up van at Naxalbari on Friday morning.

Bijoy Mukhia and Suraj Baraik, residents of Phansidewa of Siliguri sub-division, have been arrested in this connection. They were carrying the liquor from northeast to Bihar, sources said.

Also in Maneybhanjyang of Darjeeling district, a pick up van loaded with cartons of IMFL, meant for sale in Sikkim, was intercepted by a Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) team on Friday morning.

The consignment has been handed over to the Customs department in Sukhiapokhri, police sources said. “The vehicle’s driver is absconding. We are in search of him,” said a police officer.