Five lorries were set on fire last night by two local gangs seeking control over the parking lot at the Mahadipur International border under the English Bazaar police station in the district. It is also alleged that drivers or exporters who coughed up the demanded money to the “goons” there were being allowed to cross the border, while those who did not and waited for their turn had to wait for too long.

The Merchant Chamber of Commerce, Malda, alleged police inaction in the issue. “Had the police intervened, the practice would have stopped after 25 January, when a similar incident had happened there,” a trader said.

According to sources, three groups, led by Prasen Ghosh, Nikhil Ghosh and Samir Ghosh, three locals, are fighting among themselves over who gets to control the parking lot of the area so that they can extort money from the exporters for letting them go beyond the borders by breaking the queue.

“Such illegal advantage sometimes costs as big as Rs 40-50,000, while the other vehicles are asked to wait for days for their turn,” sources said. It may be noted here that after the incident in January when two trucks were torched, a police camp was set up there and some persons were arrested.

However, the rowdyism is back for the past 15 days, local people said. “The arrested were granted bail the next day after investigating police officers prepared weak reports. We want peace there, otherwise the trade through the border will cease to exist there. We need active action from the police to stop this gang-war,” the president of the Malda Merchant Chamber of Commerce, Jayanta Kundu, said.

He said that they have informed chief minister Mamata Banerjee of the problem during her visit to Malda earlier this month. “We have proposed a parking lot under the government on the model of an airport,” he said. “The district magistrate, Malda, was given the charge by CM madam to set this thing up.

We are also ready with 300 acres of land there for the purpose, and we are awaiting the green signal,” added Mr Kundu. Police, meanwhile, said they have started investigations in the matter.