Mamata Banerjee takes a swipe at Centre at review meet, asks how is FICN being smuggled in | Kolkata

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday flagged concerns over illegal arms and Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) entering the state through various routes and asked the state police to step up checking along state and district boundaries.

“Our international borders (with Bangladesh) are under the jurisdiction of the Union government. How are FICN being smuggled in? Why are they not taking action?” she asked at an administrative meeting at the state secretariat attended by some ministers and senior bureaucrats.

Of the 4096.7 km long Indo-Bangladesh border, West Bengal alone shares 2216 km with the neighbouring country

“Increase naka checking along all domestic borders (state and district borders). I would seek cooperation from the people. I would alert the shopping malls. We have received some complaints. Fake currency is coming in. Criminals are taking shelter,” she added.

Banerjee also told the Bengal director general of police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar to strengthen the Special Task Force and the state police’s anti-corruption branch. “I will carry out a reshuffle in the state police’s Criminal Investigation Department. I am giving you the responsibility. Send me the proposals,” she said

The chief minister also called for stringent checking to stop people from bringing in illegal weapons from outside the state. “Illegal arms are also being brought in on trains. Checking needs to be done. State police have already busted at least 17 – 18 illegal arms factories in Bihar. I would urge the state chief secretary and DGP to speak with the railway authorities,” she said.

The chief minister’s review comes after a failed murder attempt on Trinamool Congress councillor Sushanta Ghosh in east Kolkata on November 16 that led senior party leaders to raise questions about the police. Later, the police detained more than 40 people and seized around 50 firearms from across the state.