Under Operation 'Black Hawk,' the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) seized 18.64 kg of crude heroin near Lucknow, arresting three syndicate members. The drugs were hidden in a vehicle's fuel tank. In a separate bust, CBN seized over 1 kg of heroin in Ujjain.
Operation Black Hawk: CBN Busts Inter-State Heroin Syndicate
The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) cracked down on an inter-state heroin syndicate and seized a total of 18.64 kg of crude heroin in back-to-back operations near Lucknow under Operation "Black Hawk", officials said on monday.
According to the CBN, three key members of the inter-state trafficking network have been arrested. The seized contraband had originated from a North-Eastern state and was being trafficked for consumption in Uttar Pradesh.
Based on specific inputs regarding drug movement from the North-East region to Lucknow, joint teams from the CBN Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh units established a strategic cordon along the Sultanpur-Lucknow Highway on the intervening night of August 20-21.
Following continuous tracking of the vehicle across different toll plazas, the strike team intercepted an Assam-registered car near Lucknow on August 21. Initial inspection revealed that the vehicle was empty, and its occupants claimed innocence. However, operational officers grew suspicious when the vehicle's occupants, upon questioning, disclosed that they had refuelled four times within a span of just 500 km.
Concealed Drugs Found in Fuel Tank
The vehicle was taken to the CBN Office in Lucknow, where technical assistance was utilised to dismantle the fuel tank. Officers discovered a specially fabricated compartment holding 25 waterproof packages that contained 16.46 kg of crude heroin. Both suspects were arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985. Further details are awaited.
Separate Bust at Ujjain Railway Station
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), Madhya Pradesh Unit, on June 3 seized 1.067 kilograms of heroin from a passenger at Ujjain Railway Station and arrested him in connection with its illicit trafficking.
The action was carried out based on specific intelligence developed by the CBN office, indicating that a person was transporting around one kilogram of heroin through the passenger train towards West Bengal via the Indore-Ujjain route, according to an official release.
It further read that the suspect was escorted to the Office of Railway Protection Force (RPF) at platform no 1 of Ujjain Railway Station, where a thorough search was conducted in accordance.
"During the search, officers recovered 1.067 kilograms of Heroin concealed in two packets inside the handbag carried by the accused. Preliminary investigation revealed that the contraband was being illicitly trafficked from the Pratapgarh area of Rajasthan to Howrah, West Bengal, via the Indore-Ujjain route. The accused has been arrested under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and the seized contraband has been taken into possession for further legal proceedings," the statement added.
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