2 drug traffickers held in Nagrota; 4,050 kg poppy straw seized

The police have arrested two alleged drug peddlers and recovered 4,050 kg of poppy straw from them in Nagrota, a senior officer said Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, the truck coming from Kashmir Valley was intercepted at Ban Toll Plaza in Nagrota on Jammu-Srinagar national highway on Wednesday night, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Jammu, Tejinder Singh.

The truck driver Malkeet Singh, 53, and his accomplice Kulwinder Singh, 37, both residents of Kapurthala in Punjab, were arrested and booked under the NDPS Act after 4,050 kg of poppy straw, packed in 183 bags, was recovered from the vehicle, the SSP said.

Seeking the people's cooperation to eradicate the menace of drugs, Singh said over the past two days Jammu police had busted an inter-state gang of narcotics smugglers and arrested 10 peddlers with large quantity of contraband.

He said, "The investigation is on and more recoveries and arrests are expected in the coming days."
When asked how the truck managed to reach Nagrota near Jammu, crossing dozens of check points, Singh said, "Over 1,800 vehicles cross a check point in an hour on the highway and it is not possible to check every vehicle."