Woman Arrested in Bengal With Arms Cache, CID Probes Bihar-Linked Smuggling Network

The West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested a woman in North 24 Parganas district after recovering a large cache of weapons and ammunition from her possession. The seizure has prompted investigators to probe a suspected interstate arms smuggling network with possible links to illegal weapons suppliers in Bihar’s Munger region.

The accused, identified as Puja Biswas , was intercepted by CID officials on Sunday while she was travelling in a vehicle from Naihati to Habra following a tip-off, a police official said.

During a search, investigators recovered firearms, around 200 rounds of ammunition, 12 magazines, ₹12,000 in cash, and two mobile phones from her belongings. Officials also found a train ticket to Jamalpur in Bihar , strengthening suspicion that the weapons may have been brought into West Bengal from outside the state.

According to preliminary findings, Biswas had allegedly procured the firearms from Munger, Bihar , a region known for the manufacture and circulation of illegal weapons. Police suspect that she was planning to distribute the arms in the Habra area .

The CID is now investigating the possible involvement of a wider interstate arms trafficking racket and is attempting to identify other individuals linked to the network. Investigators believe Biswas may have entered West Bengal by train from Bihar, reached Naihati, and was travelling towards Habra when she was detained.

Police officials said the accused had been residing in a rented house in the Habra area and had earlier been arrested in connection with a case registered at Dattapukur police station .

The latest recovery has raised concerns over the movement of illegal firearms across state borders, with agencies focusing on tracing the source of the weapons and uncovering the full extent of the suspected smuggling operation.