INTERNATIONAL DRUGS TRAFFICKING RAMPANT IN DINAJPUR

SILIGURI: With Bangladesh border at a stone's throw and a "narcotics
corridor" operating through the district, North and South Dinajpur
districts have become a haven for international drug traffickers.

The matter has become a concern for State police as well as the Border
Security Force.

On Wednesday, the North Dinajpore district police seized 500 gm of
refined heroin from a North Bengal State Transport Corporation bus. The
drug is priced at around Rs 50 lakh in the international market.

According to district police superintendent A. K. Sharma, the police had
a definite information about drug traffickers using NBSTC buses from the
Raiganj depot of the NBSTC.

The seizure was made when the bus was searched at Lakhsipur and a packet
of refined heroin with a 'Made in Pakistan' mark was found, with a
manufacturing date of June 12,2000.

According to the district police, this was not the only incident of this
sort in the district in the recent past. Last February, another
consignment of heroin of one kilogram was seized in 'Kushmandi' block of
the district. Another seizure took place last January. A Kolkata bound
consignment of Rs. 50 lakh worth of 'Double Tiger' brand heroin was
seized last October in Islampore of north Dinajpore. Top police
officials of the district are considering the issue seriously.

According to district intelligence sources, entry of drugs to North and
South Dinajpore from Bangladesh has become a common and easy thing due
to long stretch of international border. At least a 20-Km length of the
infamous 'narcotics corridor,' passes through North Dinajpore,
facilitating easy marketability of the drugs from there to the
international drugs market of Nepal, Bhutan and the national market of
Nagaland, Manipur in the east and Bihar ad Uttar Pradesh in the west.

The part of NH 31 that passes from Sankosh at Assam Bengal Border to
Dalkola at Bihar border via Coochbehar, Jalpaiguri, North Dinajpore and
Darjeeling district is known as the 'narcotic corridor'. Huge volumes of
drugs trafficking is being done through the stretch of NH 31 since it
runs nearly through the narrow gap between Banglades in South and
Bhutan, Nepal in north facilitating easy access to any of the countries
from the road.

The demand of Bhutan, Nepal and Indian internal drugs market meets with
the supply from Bangladesh through North and South Dinajpore, making the
entire circuit complete through the gray market operatives of the
districts who are more interested in drugs than anything else due to
high profitability and 'low volume' trade. According to north Bengal
Intelligence sources, the value of the trade through these districts is
not less than Rs. 150 crore per annum.

Talking to TOINS few days back, the IG North Bengal BSF S. B. Kakati
also accepted drugs trafficking as a disturbing feature in the
Indo-Bangladesh border through Dinajpore districts. "BSF keeps constant
and strong vigil on the matter and determined to keep the pace of drugs
trafficking thorough the Indo-Bangladesh Border as low as possible" said
Kakati.