Interstate smuggler held with 18 kg poppy straw

Jammu, January 22

Samba police have arrested an interstate smuggler of narcotics and recovered poppy straw weighing 18 kg during checking at Mansar.

An official informed that a police party while performing vehicle checking duty at a naka at Mansar intercepted a gas tanker coming from Srinagar side. During checking of the vehicle, 18 kg of poppy straw was recovered.

The accused driver, namely Mohammad Fazal Bhat, a resident of Dharsakri in Rajouri, has been arrested and contraband along with vehicle has also been seized.

A case under Sections 8, 15, 25 NDPS Act has been registered at Samba police station through Mansar police and investigation is underway.

“The arrested accused was smuggling poppy straw from Kashmir to Punjab in a gas tanker in order to escape from the eyes of police and to earn huge margin, but the alert Samba police while conducting thorough checking of the vehicles succeeded in seeing through the modus operandi of the interstate smuggler and recovered illicit narcotic substance hidden in a box kept behind the driver’s seat.

He was immediately arrested and his interrogation is going on to elicit further facts and linkages,” the official said.