The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) uncovered a sophisticated interstate drug trafficking network that allegedly exploited the cargo and courier system to move narcotics across states. A suspected trafficker was arrested and 123 kg of ganja valued at around ₹30 lakh was seized, senior STF officials said on Sunday.
The accused identified as Prem Chandra Maurya, a resident of Azamgarh district, was arrested on Saturday. (For representation) The accused, identified as Prem Chandra Maurya, a resident of Azamgarh district, was arrested on Saturday from the TCI Express courier warehouse in Paramanandpur under Rohania police station limits of Varanasi, officials said.
According to investigators, the network had developed a clandestine supply chain linking Assam with eastern Uttar Pradesh, using courier cargo consignments disguised as legitimate commercial goods. The seizure followed intelligence inputs received by the STF regarding the activities of interstate narcotics traffickers operating through transport and logistics channels.
Acting on a tip-off, an STF team in coordination with the NCB, conducted a search at the courier warehouse. During the operation, officials found ganja concealed inside parcels labelled as “silk sarees”. The accused was apprehended after the contraband was recovered.
Investigators said the racket’s modus operandi was designed to avoid direct contact between suppliers and receivers while minimising the risk of intercept
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