Two held with over 23 kg poppy in Kulgam

Two persons were arrested with a huge quantity of poppy straw in Kulgam district of south Kashmir, police said today.

A police party intercepted a tempo near Jawahar Tunnel, about 90 kms from here, on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and recovered 23.820 kilograms of poppy straw from the vehicle last evening, a police spokesman said.

Two persons travelling in the vehicle - Nisar Ahmad Wani and Gulzar Ahmad Ganaie, both residents of Budgam district - were arrested and a case was registered against them.

The vehicle was on way to Jammu when it was intercepted by police.

Wani and Ganaie tried to escape but were overpowered by the policemen and taken into custody, officials said.