Monday, 05 June 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN

The Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) arrested an interstate drug smuggler Rakesh Singh (24) with three kilogrammes of opium from the Pulbhatta area of Udham Singh Nagar district. The smuggler was on the radar of the anti-narcotics task force (ANTF) Kumaon unit of STF for the past one week and was finally nabbed late on Saturday night with the help of local Police, said the STF senior superintendent of police Ayush Agrawal. He said that the price of the three kilogrammes of opium is nearly Rs 30 lakh.  He said that the accused was arrested after the ANTF unit got a tip-off on Saturday night that the accused will be arriving with a big stock of contraband in the Pulbhatta area. He said that during preliminary inquiry the accused had confessed to bringing opium from the Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh to smuggle into the State multiple times. He said that the authorities are investigating him to get more evidence in the matter and will take further action accordingly.

The STF has registered a case against him at Pulbhatta police station under section 8/18 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. The SSP claimed that the drug mafia of UP supplies Illegal Drugs to those areas of the State which are adjacent to the border of UP. They supply drugs to small dealers here who further supply it across the State and that is how their whole drug network runs. He said that this is one of the biggest recoveries of illegal drugs this year and the STF is actively working to destroy such networks. He also appealed to locals 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.