Three held with Rs 72L drugs in UP’s Kushinagar

Gorakhpur: Kushinagar police, in a joint operation with the STF Lucknow, busted an interstate ganja smuggling gang and arrested three gang members with over one quintal of cannabis hidden in a container truck, police said on Monday.
Acting under the directives of SP Santosh Kumar Mishra and ASP Ritesh Kumar Singh, a joint operation led by CO Kundan Singh led to the seizure of 1.20 quintals of ganja from a container vehicle in Kasya police station area on Sunday evening. The total value of the recovered contraband, including the vehicle, is estimated at Rs 72 lakh.
The arrested smugglers have been identified as Ajay Yadav of Mau, and Vipin Kumar Pal and Suhail Khan, both from Etawah. Authorities also recovered cash worth Rs 740, two mobile phones, and Aadhaar cards from the trio, said the SP.
During interrogation, the accused confessed to being part of an organized syndicate that procures ganja from Guwahati, Assam, and transports it across state borders using concealed compartments in trucks to evade law enforcement.
A case under Sections 8/20/29 of the NDPS Act has been registered at Kasya police station, and further legal proceedings are underway.