PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Two men from Uttar Pradesh were arrested with 3.008 kilogrammes of opium worth around Rs 36 lakh during a joint operation by the Special Task Force (STF) and Udham Singh Nagar police near the UP-Uttarakhand border near Kichha. The consignment was meant for supply in Kichha, Rudrapur and Sitarganj, the senior superintendent of police of STF Navneet Singh Bhullar said. He informed that the team intercepted the suspects and seized the contraband along with a motorcycle. The arrested men Salim (45) and Sher Mohammad (35), are residents of Bahipura under Baheri Police Station in Bareilly district, UP. According to the SSP, both are involved in interstate drug trafficking. He stated that Salim has criminal cases under IPC and the Gangsters Act, including a 2015 robbery case involving Rs 40 lakh. During questioning, he confessed that he smuggled drugs to finance his legal cases, Bhullar said. He stated that the men brought drugs from UP and supplied them across Uttarakhand for profit. Initial questioning has revealed names of other suspected peddlers. The STF seized the opium and a motorcycle registered in Uttarakhand (UK06BE6875). The STF is investigating the network. The SSP said that drug trafficking supports organised crime and contributes to activities such as arms trafficking, targeted killings, terrorism and human trafficking. The STF’s focus is on targeting major operators rather than small carriers, he added.
