Heroin lab busted in Farakka: 7 arrested, mastermind absconding
Synopsis
West Bengal Police raided a heroin manufacturing unit in Farakka — a border-zone town flanked by Bihar and Jharkhand — arresting seven people including four women handlers. The alleged kingpin, Ismail Sheikh of Bihar, fled before the raid with a large heroin cache. The bust exposes a cross-state narcotics corridor that authorities say has been exploiting Farakka's geography for months.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal Police busted a heroin lab in Farakka, Murshidabad on 15 June , arresting 7 people including 4 women .
Police seized 300 grams of heroin , cash worth a few lakh rupees , and drug-manufacturing equipment.
Alleged mastermind Ismail Sheikh , a Bihar resident, fled before the raid; a manhunt is underway.
Arrested persons hail from Bihar and Malda district, West Bengal , indicating an inter-state operation.
The seven accused are to appear before Jangipur District Court on Tuesday for police custody hearings.
West Bengal Police on Monday, 15 June dismantled a heroin manufacturing and trafficking operation in Farakka, Murshidabad district, arresting seven people — including four women — in a raid on a rented house near National Highway-12. The alleged mastermind, Ismail Sheikh, reportedly fled before police arrived, taking a large quantity of heroin with him.
How the Racket Was Uncovered
Acting on a tip-off, a team from Farakka Police Station raided premises at Lohapatti, close to National Highway-12 in Farakka. The lab was operating from rooms that Sheikh, a resident of Bihar, had rented a few months ago, according to police insiders. Heroin was allegedly being manufactured, packaged, and dispatched to multiple parts of the country from this location.
Seizures and Arrests
During the raid, police seized 300 grams of heroin, cash worth a few lakh rupees, and equipment used for heroin production. The seven people arrested have been identified as Rohit Singh from Samastipur, Bihar; Isha Haque and Mohammad Aslam (cousins) from Mozampur, Malda district, West Bengal; and four women handlers — Razia Khatun, Zehina Khatun, Sakina Khatun, and Madina Khatun — all residents of Yogbani, Bihar.
Why Farakka Was Chosen
'These handlers led by Ismail Sheikh had been using Farakka as a route for narcotics trafficking, taking advantage of its proximity to the state borders with both Bihar and Jharkhand. Investigation is underway to arrest the rest of the gang members after questioning those arrested,' an investigating officer said. Farakka's location at the convergence of West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand borders makes it a known transit corridor for contraband, according to law enforcement sources.
Manhunt Underway
A manhunt has been launched for Ismail Sheikh, with all nearby police stations placed on alert. Sheikh allegedly arrived in Farakka a couple of months before the raid and is believed to be in possession of a significant quantity of heroin. The seven arrested individuals are scheduled to be produced before the Jangipur District Court on Tuesday, where the public prosecutor is expected to seek police custody for further interrogation.
The bust points to an organised inter-state narcotics network exploiting border-zone gaps — a pattern that law enforcement agencies in eastern India have flagged repeatedly in recent years.
Point of View
Bihar, and Jharkhand, a geography that has historically made enforcement coordination difficult. The fact that the alleged kingpin had months to set up operations in a rented house before a tip-off triggered action raises questions about local intelligence gaps. With four of the seven arrested being women handlers from Bihar, this network reflects a recruitment pattern seen in other border-zone drug rings, where women are used as couriers to reduce police suspicion. The real test now is whether the Ismail Sheikh manhunt crosses state lines effectively, or stalls at jurisdictional boundaries.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was discovered in the Farakka heroin lab bust?
West Bengal Police raided a rented house in Farakka, Murshidabad on 15 June and seized 300 grams of heroin, a few lakh rupees in cash, and heroin-manufacturing equipment. Seven people were arrested, including four women handlers.
Who is Ismail Sheikh and why is he being hunted?
Ismail Sheikh is the alleged mastermind of the Farakka heroin lab, reportedly a resident of Bihar who rented premises in Farakka a few months ago to set up the operation. He fled before police arrived, allegedly carrying a large quantity of heroin, and a manhunt has been launched across nearby districts.
Why was Farakka used as a base for drug trafficking?
According to the investigating officer, the gang chose Farakka because of its proximity to the state borders of both Bihar and Jharkhand, making it a convenient corridor for moving narcotics across multiple states while complicating inter-state law enforcement coordination.
Who are the seven people arrested in the Farakka drug bust?
The arrested individuals are Rohit Singh from Samastipur, Bihar; Isha Haque and Mohammad Aslam (cousins) from Mozampur, Malda, West Bengal; and four women — Razia Khatun, Zehina Khatun, Sakina Khatun, and Madina Khatun — all from Yogbani, Bihar.
What happens next in the Farakka heroin case?
The seven arrested persons are to be produced before the Jangipur District Court on Tuesday, where the public prosecutor will seek police custody. A manhunt for the absconding accused Ismail Sheikh is ongoing, with all nearby police stations alerted.
