The crime branch of Dinhata police station in Cooch Behar seized illegal firearms and ammunition on Saturday from a village on the outskirts of Dinhata town.

Two residents of Dinhata have been arrested.

“The crime branch acted on a tip-off and conducted a raid in the Okrabari area. There, they intercepted two persons and seized six firearms, some magazines, live cartridges and some cough syrup bottles from their possession. A case has been registered and investigations have started,” said Sumit Kumar, SP, Cooch Behar.

Four automated pistols, a revolver, an improvised single shutter pipe gun, 15 rounds of live ammunition, four magazines, 35 bottles of cough syrup and a motorcycle were recovered from the duo, police sources said.

The two arrested have been identified as Jhantu Haque and Minarul Islam.

“The arrested duo are suspected to be members of an arms smuggling racket. We need to interrogate them to find out from where they had obtained the firearms and ammunition and to whom they intended to supply them,” said a police officer.

A case has been filed against them under the Arms Act and The NDPS act, police sources said.

In another incident, troops of the 152 battalion of the BSF carried out a joint operation with state police at Kalibari, Panjipara of North Dinajpur district on Friday, arresting Kajal Kanti Saha of Malda’s Gazole with 8.5kg cannabis and some Indian currency notes.

Also, the BSF troops at the India-Bangladesh border under the NB frontier on Saturday seized some items, including cattle and cough syrup bottles.