1,260 kg cannabis seized from truck carrying 'coal', 2 held: UP STF

Two suspected members of an inter-state drug smuggling gang were arrested from Azamgarh by the Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh Police and 1,260 kg cannabis worth an estimated Rs 3.5 crore was recovered on Thursday, officials said.

The duo had procured the cannabis from Odisha and were transporting it in a Maharashtra-registered truck, which was intercepted early in the morning in eastern Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh district, a senior officer said.

A team of STF and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Lucknow was tipped-off about the movement of the truck, following which checking was carried out and the truck intercepted.

"When asked for documents and search of the truck, the duo said they were carrying coal but detailed search revealed the huge quantity of cannabis lying underneath a layer of coal," Additional Superintendent of Police, STF, Vishal Vikram Singh said.

"The cannabis seized weigh 1,260 kg and is estimated worth Rs 3.50 crore in the market," Singh added.

The accused have been identified as Kalamuddin and Mohammed Waseem, both natives of Pratapgarh district in the state, the officer said.

"They said they had procured the cannabis from Odisha and brought to Uttar Pradesh via Jharkhand and Bihar. The consignment was to be offloaded at sites of Azamgarh-based man, Krishna Singh. The duo would get Rs 50,000 for each such trip," Singh added.

A case has been registered against the accused held by NCB and further probe is underway, he said.