Police Crackdown on Illegal Firecrackers Ahead of Kali Puja ; Two Arrested, Explosives Worth Lakhs Seized

Police Crackdown on Illegal Firecrackers Ahead of Kali Puja ; Two Arrested, Explosives Worth Lakhs Seized

Ahead of Kali Puja and Diwali, police have intensified their crackdown on the illegal storage and sale of banned firecrackers across Siliguri and its adjoining areas. In a major operation, the plainclothes police team of Matigara Police Station conducted raids at two separate locations and seized a huge quantity of prohibited firecrackers and crackers worth lakhs of rupees. Two persons have been arrested in connection with the incidents.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Bikash Saha and Vivek Saha.

According to police sources, the first raid was conducted following a tip-off at Lamba Basti in Pramodnagar Colony, under Pradhan Nagar Police Station. A rented house was allegedly being used as an illegal storage facility for firecrackers. During the search, police recovered a large quantity of prohibited firecrackers and arrested Bikash Saha from the spot.

In a separate operation, police raided a betel shop in the Matigara Bazar area. Acting on specific information, the plainclothes team searched the shop and recovered a substantial quantity of banned firecrackers and crackers. The shopkeeper, Vivek Saha, was arrested for allegedly selling illegal firecrackers under the cover of his business.

The back-to-back raids highlight the Siliguri Police's intensified efforts to curb the illegal firecracker trade ahead of the festive season.

Police are interrogating the arrested individuals to ascertain the source of the seized firecrackers, identify other persons involved and determine whether a larger illegal supply network is operating in the region.

According to police sources, both accused will be produced before the Siliguri Sub-Divisional Court on Thursday.