Interstate narco smuggler held with 18 kg Poppy Straw in Samba

SAMBA, 22 January 2024: Samba Police arrested an interstate smuggler of narcotics and recovered Poppy Straw weighing 18 kilograms during checking at Mansar in the jurisdiction of Police Station Samba.

Police party of Police Post Mansar while performing vehicle checking duty at Mansar ‘Naka’, intercepted a gas tanker coming from Srinagar side for its checking. During checking of said vehicle, 18 kilograms of poppy straw was recovered. The accused driver namely Mohd. Fazal Bhat s/o Mohd. Afzal r/o Dharsakri district Rajouri has been arrested and contraband alongwith vehicle has also been seized.

A case FIR No. 25/2024 u/s 8/15/25 NDPS Act has been registered at Police Station Samba through Police Post Mansar and an investigation is underway.

The arrested accused was smuggling poppy straw from Kashmir to Punjab in Gas Tanker in order to escape from the sharp eyes of police and to earn huge margin, but the alert Samba police while conducting thorough checking of the vehicles at Mansar naka succeeded in seeing through the modus operandi of the interstate smuggler and recovered illicit narcotic substance hidden in a box kept behind the driver’s seat. He was immediately arrested and his interrogation is going on to elicit further facts and linkages.