Drug trafficker held in Bareilly with morphine worth Rs 4 crore from Nagaland: Police

Bareilly (UP), Oct 21 (PTI) A 50-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday on charges of drug trafficking and over 4 kg of morphine with a street value of Rs 4.15 crore was seized from a truck, officials said.

The arrested person, identified as Siraj Ahmad, a resident of Shahjahanpur, allegedly sourced the narcotic from Nagaland and supplied it to various districts in Uttar Pradesh, they said.

Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Manus Pareek told reporters that Ahmad, arrested by Baradari police, was a key member of an inter-state drug trafficking network.

During a late-night patrol on October 21 near the Boys' Hostel on Dohra Road, a police team led by Station House Officer Dhananjay Pandey intercepted a truck following a tip-off.

On searching the vehicle, police found four packets containing a brownish powder inside a blue bag. Testing confirmed the substance to be morphine, after which driver Siraj was arrested, he said, adding that the police seized 4 kg 186 grams of morphine and the truck.

Siraj's accomplice, identified as Surendra Sharma, managed to flee from the spot.

During interrogation, Siraj revealed that Sharma was the mastermind of the network, which smuggled morphine from Nagaland and distributed it across several districts.

The truck had a secret compartment underneath, used to conceal the contraband, and Siraj was paid Rs 1 lakh for each delivery, the police said.

A case has been registered against Siraj, who was produced before a court, while teams have been formed to arrest the absconding mastermind, the officials added. PTI CORR ABN RT RT