In a major crackdown on drug trafficking, Jharkhand police seized a substantial amount of opium and poppy husk, arresting three individuals involved in the illegal trade across Ranchi and Palamu districts.
Key Points
- Jharkhand police seized opium and poppy husk worth ₹1.23 crore in Ranchi and Palamu districts.
- Three individuals were arrested for involvement in the sale and purchase of opium and poppy husk.
- The accused confessed to purchasing poppy husk in Jharkhand and selling it in Uttar Pradesh.
- Police seized 566.5 kg of poppy husk and 700 gm of opium in Ranchi, along with cash and a vehicle.
- In Palamu, police seized 216 kg of poppy husk and arrested two individuals from Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.
Poppy husk and opium worth a total of Rs 1.23 crore have been seized and three persons arrested in separate incidents in Jharkhand's Ranchi and Palamu districts, police said on Tuesday.
In Ranchi district, police arrested one person and seized 566.5 kg of poppy husk and 700 gm of opium worth a total of Rs 88.47 lakh, a senior police officer said.
The accused was arrested during a raid on a house in Budri village in Namkum police station area on Monday, following a tip-off that a gang comprising more than five members was engaged in the sale and purchase of opium and poppy husk, he said.
Ranchi Rural Superintendent of Police Praveen Pushkar said, "We have arrested a man identified as Manish Tirkey (26), the main accused in the gang engaged in the sale and purchase of poppy husks and opium in Khunti and Hazaribag districts."
Other members of the gang fled the spot and a manhunt has been launched to nab them.
During the raid, 35 sacks of poppy husks weighing 566.5 kg and 700 gm of opium were seized. In addition, Rs 2.28 lakh in cash, a four-wheeler and a mobile phone were also seized from his possession, the SP said.
The market value of the seized poppy husks is Rs 84.97 lakh and the opium is worth Rs 3.5 lakh, he added.
An FIR has been registered under sections of the BNS and the NDPS Act and he will be forwarded to judicial custody, police said.
Palamu Drug Seizure and Arrests
In Palamu district, police seized around 216 kg of poppy husk worth Rs 35 lakh on Tuesday morning, police said.
Two persons, including one from Uttar Pradesh, have been arrested, they said.
"Acting on a tip-off, police intercepted a car carrying poppy husk in Manatu police station area and arrested the accused," Palamu Superintendent of Police Reeshma Ramesan said.
The accused were identified as Sanjeev Sharma (36), who hails from Faridpur in UP's Bareilly district, and Nizamuddin Rain (44), a resident of Garhwa in Jharkhand.
During the interrogation, the accused said they purchased poppy husk from various areas in Jharkhand and sold it in Uttar Pradesh, she added.
