J&K police recovers 222 kg poppy straw in Udhampur; one apprehended

Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], November 29 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered 222 kg of psychotropic substance ‘poppy straw’ from a truck at Zero Point Chenani on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, Udhampur, said a press release on Tuesday.

According to the official release, a police team of Chenani Police Station led by its Station House Officer (SHO) SD Singh, while on naka checking at Motorshed, NHW, Chenani stopped a truck for checking that was coming from Srinagar towards Udhampur.

A specially fabricated chamber was detected in the toolbox of the vehicle during the search and nine bags were found inside the toolbox, which were filled with a poppy straw-like substance, said the official statement.

The total quantity of recovered poppy straw was 222.45 kg, added the official statement.

During the preliminary inquiry, the truck driver identified himself as Mohd Baber, a resident of Champa village in Ramban district.

A case has been registered into the matter under Sections 8 and 15 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Chenani Police Station and further investigation has also been initiated, said the press release.

Earlier this month, the J-K Police arrested an interstate narcotics smuggler and recovered over 16 kg of poppy straw in Udhampur district.

The accused was identified as Dilshad Ali, a resident of Malerkotla in Punjab.

The discovery of the smuggled contraband came to light during a routine check of the police team from Police Station Udhampur, led by Station House Officer (SHO) Inspector Raghubir Choudhary.

Subsequently, during the routine checking, 16.3 kg of poppy straw-like substance was recovered from a Punjab-bound truck Jakhani.

The J-K police further arrested the accused truck driver and a case was registered against the accused under Sections 8 and 15 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), 1985, at the Udhampur Police Station.