Kolkata, 9 December (H.S.): Darjeeling district police seized a substantial quantity of brown sugar and arrested a woman allegedly involved in drug trafficking during a late-night raid near the Indo-Nepal border, officials said on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team from Khaprail police station raided a house in the Gando Goal area of Panitanki on Monday night. During the search, officers recovered 306 grams of brown sugar packed in three separate packets. The contraband was found hidden inside the sub-tank of a toilet in the house.

The accused, identified as Sadika Khatun, was taken into custody. Police said she had been involved in the narcotics trade for a long time and was operating in the border belt, which is known to be vulnerable to cross-border smuggling networks.

The seized narcotics have been sent for forensic testing. Khatun has been booked under relevant sections of the NDPS Act.

Authorities said efforts are underway to identify and trace other members of the trafficking network linked to her.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh