738 kg poppy husk seized from van parked in a farm in Barmer

Police seized 738 kg of poppy husk worth Rs 70 lakh from a vehicle parked in an agricultural land in Barmer on Sunday, said an official.

He said the vehicle, modified to resemble a cash van, was parked inside a room built on the farm, 2 km away from the inhabited area.

According to Barmer Superintendent of Police Narendra Singh Meena, a special team led by Circle Officer Sukha raided Naresh Kumar Purohit's farm in Bholagar Nagar Lunwa based on a tip-off.

"The accused was smuggling illegal poppy husk in a vehicle resembling cash van. A dummy CCTV camera was installed inside the vehicle and 'Government of India' written on it," Meena said.

Apart from the poppy husk, police also seized a security guard's uniform, a rifle and seven cartridges from the van, the SP said.

He said Naresh, along with other accused identified as Ramesh Kumar, Sunil Vishnoi and Surendra Vishnoi, allegedly used to supply drugs at night by hiding the vehicle in the room.

He added that the accused fled before the police reached the spot and a search is on to apprehend them.