A major cross-border drug trafficking network operating between Nepal and various Indian states has been disrupted with the arrest of a key suspect in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, following a joint operation by the UP STF and Goa Police.
Key Points
- A key suspect in a cross-border drug trafficking network has been arrested in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh.
- The arrest was a joint operation between the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and Goa Police.
- The suspect, Akhlaq Ahmed, allegedly procured narcotics from Nepal and supplied them to traffickers in Goa.
- The drug trafficking network exploited the porous India-Nepal border to smuggle contraband.
- Investigations are ongoing to identify other individuals involved in the drug trafficking network.
The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), in a joint operation with the crime branch of Goa Police, has apprehended a key suspect linked with an alleged cross-border drug trafficking network from Bahraich, an official said on Sunday.
Station house officer (SHO), Dargah Sharif, said, the crime branch of Goa Police had recently arrested three youths of Nepal origin in Goa and recovered narcotics from their possession.
Drug Network's Modus Operandi
The accused trio allegedly informed Goa Police that a man residing in Bahraich used to procure narcotics from Nepal, which he subsequently supplied to them.
Based on interrogation of the youths, Akhlaq Ahmed (29) alias Manna Malik -- a resident of Mansoorganj under Dargah Sharif police station and previously involved in various criminal cases -- was identified as a key link in the drug-trafficking operation.
Joint Operation Leads to Arrest
Acting on technical surveillance and intelligence inputs, the Goa Police in a joint operation with the STF and Bahraich police arrested Akhlaq, the SHO said.
Subsequently, Goa Police took the accused into custody on Saturday and transported him to the state.
Trafficking Route and Investigation
According to police, the trafficking network was supplying narcotics to various states, and using the Uttar Pradesh-Nepal border for bringing contraband into the country.
Investigation has revealed that the accused was allegedly in contact with active traffickers in the vicinity of the Indo-Nepal border, and through him, consignments of narcotics were transported to various states.
Officials believe that this trafficking network had been operating for a considerable period by exploiting the porous India-Nepal border.
Preliminary investigations have established links connecting this syndicate to Uttar Pradesh, Goa, and other states.
According to police, the accused Akhlaq was playing a pivotal role in the network.
Efforts are underway to identify others involved in the network, and the exact number of consignments that have been dispatched to various states over the past years, they added.
