Tuesday, 18 JULY 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) unit of the Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) arrested an inter-state drug smuggler with 1.69 kilogrammes of opium from Udham Singh Nagar’s Rudrapur late on Sunday night. The smuggler was on the radar of the ANTF Kumaon unit for the past one week after a tip off about a big stock of illegal drugs to be smuggled from Uttar Pradesh, said the senior superintendent of police of STF, Ayush Agrawal. He said that the ANTF along with the local police worked to nab the smuggler and finally arrested him from Rudrapur on Sunday. The police found 1.69 kilogrammes of opium which is worth about Rs 20 lakh. Agrawal said that the accused has stated in the preliminary questioning that opium is cultivated in his village in UP for which the government has also given people a license. He used to buy opium from such opium cultivators at a cheap price and sell it to people in Rudrapur at higher rates, said the SSP. The authorities are questioning him about his deals in the State and will take action accordingly. This is one of the biggest recoveries of contraband this year and the STF is actively working to destroy such networks, Agrawal said. He said that people from neighbouring states living adjacent to the Uttarakhand border tend to smuggle drugs to the State which are then smuggled to various districts with the help of peddlers. He also appealed to citizens to inform authorities to provide any information regarding illegal drugs or smugglers by approaching the nearest police station or contacting STF at 01352656202 and 9412029536.
