Gorakhpur, June 15 (IANS) In a major crackdown on narcotics trafficking, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Gorakhpur Zonal Unit, in coordination with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), seized 124 kg of ganja from the godown of a courier company in Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and arrested a suspected drug trafficker, officials said on Monday.

The operation was carried out on Sunday following specific intelligence inputs as part of the Centre’s campaign for a “Drug-Free India” envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

According to the NCB, the contraband was recovered from the godown of a courier company located in Jagatpur under Rohania police station limits in Varanasi district.

Investigators found that the ganja packets had been cleverly disguised with silk saree labels and accompanied by receipts bearing fictitious names and addresses in an attempt to evade detection.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the consignment originated in Assam and was being transported to Ranipur in Mau district of Uttar Pradesh.

Officials said the traffickers had used the courier network to conceal the movement of the narcotics and avoid scrutiny by enforcement agencies.

A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

The arrested accused is being questioned, and further investigation is underway to identify other members of the trafficking network and establish both the source and destination links of the seized consignment.

The latest seizure comes close on the heels of another major operation by NCB Gorakhpur and the Uttar Pradesh STF in Deoria district, where more than 406 kg of ganja was seized, and four alleged traffickers were arrested earlier this month.

The contraband had reportedly been transported from Assam and was meant for distribution in eastern Uttar Pradesh, the NCB said.

The recovery is part of a broader series of anti-narcotics operations across Uttar Pradesh in recent months. In one such case, the Uttar Pradesh Police Anti-Narcotics Task Force seized a large quantity of ganja in Rae Bareli and arrested three traffickers.

In another major operation in Sultanpur in April this year, the enforcement agencies recovered over 1.5 tonnes of ganja from a truck and took two accused into custody.

Authorities have also reported several seizures of synthetic drugs and psychotropic substances in districts including Lucknow, Ghaziabad, and Noida, leading to multiple arrests and the dismantling of interstate trafficking networks.

Officials said sustained coordination among central and state agencies has significantly strengthened efforts to curb drug smuggling in the state.

The NCB has urged citizens to share information related to narcotics trafficking through the MANAS National Narcotics Helpline (1933), assuring that the identity of informers will remain strictly confidential.

–IANS

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