In a major crackdown, Jharkhand Police seized narcotics and illicit liquor worth over Rs 2.54 crore across multiple districts, arresting seven individuals and disrupting a significant drug supply chain.
The Jharkhand Police seized narcotics and illicit liquor worth more than Rs 2.54 crore and arrested seven persons in separate operations across five districts, officials said on Monday.
The biggest haul was made in Khunti district, where police seized 1,388 kg of poppy husk valued at around Rs 2.08 crore from a truck headed to Uttar Pradesh, they said.
The vehicle was intercepted during a checking drive near Bhalutoli village under Rania police station limits on Sunday following a tip-off, police said.
"As the driver spotted the police team, he abandoned the truck on the roadside and fled," Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Torpa) Christopher Kerketta said.
Police recovered the contraband packed in 69 sacks from the vehicle, which is registered in Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district. An FIR has been lodged and further investigation is underway, he added.
In another operation in the district, police arrested two suspected inter-district drug peddlers from Ramgarh and seized 14.52 gm of brown sugar along with Rs 55,000 in cash, Simaria SDPO Shubham Bhaushaheb said.
Meanwhile, in Simdega district, police arrested three alleged drug peddlers and seized 43 kg of ganja valued at around Rs 21.5 lakh during a vehicle-checking drive near Tukupani.
Three pistols and cartridges were also recovered, Simdega SP Shrikant S Khotre said. The accused confessed to transporting narcotics consignments to Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states through the route on several occasions, he added.
In Bokaro district, police seized 47 kg of ganja worth about Rs 23.5 lakh from two plastic sacks. Police said two smugglers involved in the case had been identified and raids were underway to arrest them.
Separately, police busted an illicit foreign liquor manufacturing unit in Upper Khakhara village in Ramgarh and arrested two persons.
During the raid, police recovered 250 cases of duplicate foreign liquor of different brands, 1,800 litres of prepared liquor stored in drums and 1,600 litres of spirit, Ramgarh SP Mukesh Kumar Lunayat said.
The crackdown comes days after Chief Minister Hemant Soren directed senior officials during a virtual meeting on May 6 to intensify action against narcotics networks and "break the supply chain of narcotic substances".