Ex-serviceman held with 9 kg charas in Nagrota

The police arrested an ex-army man on Sunday with 9 kg of high quality charas from Nagrota area here along Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, officials said.

Mohammad Ayoub Malik, who hails from south Kashmir's Anantnag district, was signalled to stop his car at a check point but he tried to speed away, officials said.

After a brief chase, the police arrested Malik and recovered charas worth lakhs of rupees in the international market, they added.

Malik was trying to smuggle the consignment outside the state, officials said.

A case under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered and further investigation has been taken up to nab others involved in the illicit trade, officials said.

In another case, the police recovered 110 kg of poppy straws from a Punjab-bound truck during checking at Jakhani along Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Udhampur district on Sunday.

The driver of the vehicle Veer Singh of Amritsar (Punjab) was arrested and a case under NDPS was registered, they said.

With this consignment, the police have seized 852 kg poppy straw in the district this month, officials said.