A team of National Security Guard comandoes reached Sandeshkhali on Friday hours after he Central Bureau of Investigation seized arms and ammunition, such as foreign-manufactured firearms during searches at two premises of an associate of now-suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh in West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali.
According to PTI, the CBI conducted these searches in connection with an attack on Enforcement Directorate officers in the same area on January 5
Reportedly, teams of the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI), the bomb detection squad, the National Security Guard (NSG), the central paramilitary forces and the West Bengal Police were part of the searches at Sandeshkhali.
CBI Statement On Raid
The CBI on Friday in a statement said, “During the investigation of this case, information was received that the items lost by the ED team and other incriminating articles may be hidden at the residence of an associate of Sheikh at Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas. Accordingly, the team of the CBI along with CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) personnel searched two premises at Sandeshkhali today.”
The statement further added the details of their findings from the raid, it said – three foreign-made revolvers and one foreign-made pistol, one Indian revolver, one Colt official issue police revolver, one country-made pistol, 120 nine mm bullets, 50 cartridges of .45 calibre, 120 nine mm cartridges, 50 cartridges of .380 and eight cartridges of .32 were seized.
“Besides, many incriminating documents related to Shajahan have also been found. Some items, suspected to be country-made bombs, have also been seized and those are being handled and disposed of by the teams of the NSG,” it added.
Location Of CBI Raid
The raid was conducted in the house of Abu Taleb Mollah who is a relative of Sheikh, reportedly.
The officials are still trying to find out why such a large amount of weapons, ammunition, and explosives were stored in the house.
Security forces cordoned off the house, which was constructed near water bodies used for fish farming. Central forces used metal detectors to search for any additional buried weapons and ammunition, and also a robotic device for this raid.
The raids were conducted following the CBI’s investigation into allegations of extortion, land seizure, and sexual assault against suspended Trinamool leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates.
The raids targeted hideouts associated with the suspects who had attacked the Enforcement Directorate team on January 5.
(With inputs from agencies)
