Over 1,000 arrested as Bengal steps up vigil

Cracking down on criminals and stepping up security in West Bengal, police have arrested over 1,000 persons and taken nearly 8,000 others in preventive detention across the state.

Giving details of one of the biggest arrest execution drives in recent times, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Anuj Sharma said that 1,023 persons have been arrested while 7,972 individuals have been taken into preventive detention in the last 48 hours.

"Earlier such operations were carried out by the district police often in isolation which led criminals fleeing to other districts. This time it has been a coordinated effort," Sharma told media persons at the state secretariat.

Besides the arrests and preventive detentions, Sharma said nearly 800 crude bombs and 26,000 litres of illicit liquor were confiscated from across the state.

Officials of the state home department said that 1,520 warrants have been executed in the past few days.

The state police is also in touch with the border guarding forces and checks in bordering areas have been stepped up.

The development comes in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Bangladesh earlier the month and apprehensions that criminal elements may have crossed over to the state taking advantage of the porous border.

--IANS

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