Crime Branch-2 team arrests two alleged suppliers and the intended buyer; police describe it as the district’s first seizure of such a large quantity of opium
YAMUNANAGAR | PEN OF DEMOCRACY NEWS DESK
Yamunanagar Police’s Crime Branch-2 has arrested two alleged drug suppliers along with the alleged buyer and recovered 6.430 kg of opium, estimated to be worth around Rs 32 lakh, in what police described as the first seizure of such a large quantity of opium in the district. Addressing journalists, DSP Rajat Gulia said the action was carried out on the directions of Superintendent of Police Kamaldeep Goyal as part of the district police’s intensified campaign against drug trafficking. A case has been registered against the accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. According to the police, the arrested accused were identified as Kamal Bahadur, son of Bal Bahadur, a resident of Bageshwari Toll village in Bardiyabari district of Nepal, and Rajesh Rawat, son of Gabbar Singh, a resident of Makudi village under Mori police station in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand. The alleged buyer was identified as Yashpal alias Ravi, son of Ajit Kumar, a resident of Pehowa in Kurukshetra district. DSP Rajat Gulia said Crime Branch-2 in-charge Rakesh Kumar and his team received specific information that some persons travelling in a red-coloured car were allegedly carrying narcotic substances and would pass through the Kail bypass. Acting swiftly on the information, a police team comprising Sub-Inspector Sandeep, ASI Yogesh, Sunil, Head Constables Vijay and Vikas, and Sanjay was constituted. The team reached the indicated location and intercepted a red-coloured car. The police called a duty magistrate to the spot before carrying out the search. According to the police, two persons were found inside the vehicle. During the search, 3.280 kg of opium was allegedly recovered from the bag of Kamal Bahadur, while another 3.150 kg was allegedly recovered from the bag of Rajesh Rawat. The total quantity recovered was calculated at 6.430 kg. Police officials estimated the value of the seized opium at approximately Rs 32 lakh. During questioning, the two accused allegedly told investigators that the consignment was to be delivered to Yashpal alias Ravi of Pehowa. Acting on the information, the police team subsequently arrested Yashpal as well. All three accused were booked under the provisions of the NDPS Act and produced before the court. The court granted the police seven days’ remand for further investigation. The police said the recovery is significant not only because of the quantity involved but also because investigators are now attempting to establish the wider network behind the alleged drug supply operation. DSP Rajat Gulia said that during the remand period, investigators would question the accused to determine where the opium was sourced from, who else is connected with the alleged trafficking network and in which areas the narcotics were being supplied. The police are also expected to investigate the alleged role of other persons who may have been involved in transportation, financing, procurement or distribution of the narcotic substance. The seizure comes amid an intensified drive by Yamunanagar Police against drug trafficking and the illegal distribution of narcotic substances. Police teams have been directed to identify suspected drug networks and take action against those involved in the supply chain. DSP Gulia said the district police would continue its campaign against drug trafficking and would make efforts to dismantle such networks at their source. He also appealed to the public to remain vigilant and share information about suspected drug trafficking or suspicious activities with the police. The police maintained that the investigation is continuing and further details about the alleged supply network are expected to emerge during the custodial interrogation of the accused. The recovery of more than six kilograms of opium, according to police, represents a major breakthrough in the ongoing anti-narcotics campaign in Yamunanagar and could help investigators trace a larger chain of alleged drug suppliers and buyers operating across the region.
