Rajasthan Police team poses as car dealers, nabs notorious drug smuggler from Barmer

Jaipur, Oct 1 (PTI) Rajasthan Police has arrested a notorious inter-state drug smuggler from Barmer district as part of its ongoing crackdown on narcotics networks in the state, an official said on Wednesday.

The accused Shankar Vishnoi, a resident of Chauhtan in Barmer, was apprehended by a joint team of the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) and the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) under 'Operation MaruDrug' on Tuesday, he said.

The team posed as car dealers to apprehend the accused, he added.

According to ATS Inspector General (IG) Vikas Kumar, the joint team has arrested six notorious drug smugglers in the last one month alone.

He said Vishnoi was wanted in multiple cases related to drug trafficking, illegal liquor smuggling, vehicle theft, Arms Act violations and assault, and carried a bounty of Rs 25,000 on his arrest.

The accused had been absconding for a long time and was hiding in Hyderabad under a false identity, where he posed as a railing contractor named Surya. He had recently returned to Barmer and resumed smuggling activities discreetly.

According to IG Kumar, Vishnoi had links across several states.

"While his drug smuggling network spanned across Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, his liquor smuggling operations extended to Bihar, where he had also been in judicial custody," Kumar said.

Vishnoi's criminal journey mirrors a pattern seen among several smugglers in western Rajasthan, the IG said.

Born into a lower middle class family, he dropped out of school by Class 10. His father sent him to work with a friend in Chennai's garment trade. Dissatisfied with a monthly wage of Rs 10,000, Vishnoi returned home and began driving vehicles.

It was during this period that he came in contact with local smugglers, gradually becoming involved in the trade and eventually building his own network.

According to IG Kumar, Vishnoi was highly cautious and did not use an own mobile phone. After sensing reduced pressure from police, he attempted to revive his smuggling operations using smaller consignments.

For this, he was trying to purchase a second-hand Swift car.

The ANTF received a crucial lead when Vishnoi contacted a car dealer through an associate. Acting on a tip-off, the ANTF placed both the associate and the dealer under surveillance.

When a meeting was arranged to inspect a white Swift car, the joint team arrived at the location pretending to be car dealers, driving a similar vehicle.

Unaware of the trap, Vishnoi approached the police team thinking they were the actual dealers and was quickly apprehended without resistance, the ATS IG said. PTI SDA RUK RUK