CBI seizes arms and ammunition in raids in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali

The CBI seized arms and ammunition, including foreign-made pistols, during searches at multiple locations in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali on Friday in connection with the January attack on an Enforcement Directorate team by a mob allegedly instigated by now-suspended TMC leader Shajahan Sheikhh, officials said. Teams of the Central Bureau Investigation (CBI), the bomb detection squad, the National Security Guard (NSG), the central paramilitary forces and the West Bengal Police were part of the searches at the village -- a riverine delta -- on the fringes of the Sunderbans in North 24 Parganas district. As officials spread across Sandeshkhali to search targetted locations, NSG units had the responsibility for detecting and handling explosives, if any were found during the operation, the officials said. The swift operation, till afternoon, resulted in the seizure of a huge cache of small arms and ammunition, and these included foreign-made pistols, they said. Five teams of CBI official