Truck driver held with 211 kg poppy straw in Udhampur

Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested an inter-state drug smuggler in Udhampur and recovered 211 kg of poppy straw from his possession.

The smuggling bid was foiled after the police received an intelligence input about the psychotropic substance. The drug smuggler belongs to Chamba in Himachal Pradesh and has been identified as Mohammad Hanief, said a police official.

During a routine check, a police team intercepted a truck on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at Jakhani and conducted a search, he said. The search led to the recovery of 211 kilograms of poppy husk contained in eight bags, he added.

“Amid ongoing drive against drug trafficking and substance abuse, a team from Udhampur police station while on naka checking at Jakhani stopped a truck bearing registration number HP73-B- 2204 for checking which was coming from Srinagar towards Jammu. During search, eight bags filled with poppy straw were recovered,” the official informed.

The driver, identified as Mohammad Hanief of Toli village in Chamba district, was arrested on the spot. The vehicle and contraband were seized.

A case has been registered at Udhampur Police Station, and further investigation is underway.