Daltonganj, July 31: Palamu Police have intensified their crackdown on narcotics under Operation Prahar, arresting four alleged drug smugglers and seizing more than 35 kg of illicit narcotics, including over 2.5 kg of opium and 33 kg of cannabis (ganja), in two separate operations conducted on July 29.
The coordinated raids were carried out by the Panki and Satbarwa police stations, resulting in the recovery of narcotics, vehicles and mobile phones. All four accused were remanded to judicial custody on July 30, and cases have been registered against them under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Addressing a press conference, Palamu Superintendent of Police Kapil Chaudhary said that in the first operation, Panki Police arrested Shahabuddin (45) and Ghulam Mustafa (30) and recovered a little over 2.5 kg of opium from their possession.
“On July 29, Panki Police arrested two persons and recovered a little over 2.5 kg of opium from their possession,” the SP said.
Police also seized two motorcycles and two mobile phones during the operation. One of the motorcycles bore a Uttar Pradesh registration number. Preliminary investigation indicated that Mustafa was allegedly the buyer, while Shahabuddin acted as the supplier.
“During interrogation, the accused told police that the opium had been sourced from Lawalong in neighbouring Chatra district,” Chaudhary said.
In another major breakthrough, Satbarwa Police intercepted a luxury car on the same day and recovered more than 33 kg of cannabis concealed inside the vehicle. The contraband was packed in 45 packets and hidden inside the car’s bonnet and boot.
The occupants of the vehicle, identified as Krishna Ram (25) and Dinesh Ram (35), both residents of Rohtas district in Bihar, were arrested and later remanded to judicial custody.
Police said investigations are underway to ascertain the source and destination of the seized cannabis, with suspicion that it may have been trafficked from Odisha to Bihar.
“We are verifying whether the seized cannabis was being transported from Odisha to Bihar, as those involved in such smuggling often give misleading versions during interrogation,” the SP said.
Officials said the back-to-back seizures underscore the district police’s intensified campaign against narcotics trafficking under Operation Prahar and reaffirmed their commitment to dismantling interstate drug smuggling networks.
