The action was part of an ongoing anti-narcotics drive in the state. In September, CM Suvendu Adhikari himself drove bulldozers and destroyed lakhs of bottles of banned cough syrup bottles in Balurghat and Newtown to send a message about the government’s zero-tolerance policy against illegal drugs

Four people were arrested after the Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police busted an inter-State drug network in Kaliachak in Malda district on Saturday (October 31, 2026) night.

According to officials, the operation was part of the STF’s ongoing crackdown on narcotics syndicates. On Saturday (October 31), an STF team intercepted a vehicle on National Highway 12 near Madhughat in Kaliachak and recovered 2.688 kg of morphine, estimated to be worth around ₹3 crore.

Four key operatives, including the main supplier, Sahibar Ali, were arrested. All four are residents of Malda. A case has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Kaliachak police station.

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari praised the officers for acting swiftly on a tip-off about the smuggling operation. “Let me remind the drug smugglers, racketeers and syndicate operators: they will be dealt with an iron fist, as our Government maintains an uncompromising Zero Tolerance Policy against drug peddling to safeguard the future of our Youth and strengthen our collective resolve under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan,” he said.

Earlier, on October 21, an STF team raided a location in Baishnabnagar in Malda district and seized 505 g of morphine. A 26-year-old man, Sahinur Ali, a resident of Kaliachak, was arrested. The investigation found that the narcotics had been sourced from Ershad Alom of Thoubal in Manipur for Habibur of Sujapur Danga in Malda.

On October 11, the police arrested five more people in Nimta in North 24 Parganas district. They seized 90 kg of ganja, estimated to be worth approximately ₹44.5 lakh, ₹5 lakh in unaccounted cash and three vehicles. Two of those arrested were from Odisha and had allegedly come to deliver the contraband, while the others were the intended recipients.

As part of the State government’s anti-narcotics campaign, Mr. Adhikari had earlier driven a road roller over nearly two lakh bottles of banned cough syrup in Balurghat in Dakshin Dinajpur district in September. The event was intended to send a strong message about the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards illegal drugs. Union Minister Sukanta Majumder and State Health Minister Shardwat Mukhopadhyay also attended the programme.

On September 23, Mr. Adhikari also drove a road roller over around 3.1 lakh bottles of banned cough syrup at a ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ programme in New Town in North 24 Parganas district. The seized bottles were estimated to be worth ₹31 crore.