Haryana drug trafficker held in Palamu with 48 kg Poppy Husk, Opium
PNS
Daltonganj
Palamu Police arrested a suspected interstate drug trafficker from Haryana and a local supplier, seizing over 48 kg of poppy straw (husk) and 230 grams of opium during a late-night vehicle checking drive under its anti-narcotics campaign.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Superintendent of Police Kapil Chaudhary said the accused, Pargat Singh (55) of Sirsa district in Haryana, had travelled nearly 1,200 km in a Toyota Etios to procure the contraband from Aseem Alam alias Bittu (42) of Jamuna village under Tarhassi police station limits.
Police recovered 48.200 kg of poppy straw, including the weight of the four bags used for packing, and 230 grams of ready-to-use opium concealed inside a folded plastic sheet. The duo was intercepted near Jarha village during a routine night checking drive conducted under Operation Prahar by teams from Panki, Tarhassi and Lesliganj police stations led by Lesliganj SDPO Prashant Kumar.
The SP said the seizure was made during regular anti-crime surveillance and was not based on any specific intelligence input. During questioning, Aseem Alam allegedly admitted to selling the narcotics to the Haryana buyer.
Police also seized the Toyota Etios used for transporting the contraband, a smartphone and Rs 15,000 in cash. Preliminary investigation revealed that Pargat Singh has previous criminal cases registered in Punjab and Haryana under the Arms Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in 2013 and 2023.
Police are verifying the criminal antecedents of Aseem Alam and probing possible links in an interstate narcotics network. Both accused were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
SP Chaudhary said the arrests reflect the effectiveness of intensified night patrolling and anti-narcotics operations aimed at curbing the illegal drug trade in the district.
