The arrested accused have been identified as Lakhpat Singh (43), Suresh (24), Prakash Puri (39), residents of Uttar Pradesh; Dal Chand (36), a resident of Uttrakhand; Taslima Begum (38), a resident of Assam; and Ravi Prakash (34), a resident of Delhi.
According to the police, they seized a total of 101.62 kg of opium, 2 kg of heroin, and money from the hawala network worth Rs 7.5 lakh.
According to a senior police officer, during the first operation on April 23, police received a tip that Lakhpat and Suresh would drive their truck to Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar at around 10 am to deliver opium to one of Chand’s contacts.
According to the police, they seized a total of 101.62 kg of opium, 2 kg of heroin, and money from the hawala network worth Rs 7.5 lakh.
During the first operation on April 23, police received a tip that Lakhpat and Suresh would drive their truck to Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar at around 10 am to deliver opium to one of Chand’s contacts, a senior police officer said.
“A raid was conducted and the duo was apprehended. A total of 5.31 kg opium was recovered from the possession of Lakhpat and 96.31 kg opium, which was concealed between 682 gunny bags containing coconuts, was recovered from the truck,” Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) H G S Dhaliwal said.
On the disclosure statements of the accused, a team went to Kichha in Uttrakhand and arrested Chand, the key member of the cartel, police said.
Later, another key member of the syndicate Puri was arrested from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, and Rs 7.5 lakh was seized from his house, they said.
“Lakhpat told police that he was into drug trafficking since the last five to six years. He had procured the recovered opium from Jharkhand-based suppliers on the directions of Chand. He said Chand directs him to receive the consignment from various places in Jharkhand. He used to conceal the opium between bags of coconuts,” Dhaliwal said.
Chand also disclosed that he used to supply contraband to various local contacts in Delhi/NCR, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh. He used to send the money to his suppliers by hawala transactions through Puri, police said.
Another information was received that a woman from Assam, who was indulged in drug trafficking after procuring heroin from suppliers of northeastern states, would come near the Shakur Basti Railway Station to supply heroin to one Ravi. A trap was laid and both the accused were apprehended. Two kg heroin was also recovered from their possession, Dhaliwal added.
(With inputs from PTI)