Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Sept 10: Continuing with its drive against evaders on drug trafking a joint team of the officials of Excise and Police Department Lakhanpur under the supervision of Deputy Excise Commissioner Toll Post Lakhanpur and Inspector Ritesh Sambyal SHO, Police Station Lakhanpur detected 19 bags (about 240 Kgs) of Poppy Straw (Bhukki) being exported outside the State in a vehicle bearing Registration No. PB06C-9725, that was on its way from Srinagar to Punjab.
After charging the Toll Tax, the vehicle was put to physical checking and during the course of checking, it was found to be carrying 240 kgs of Bhukki in a specially designed cabin behind the driver seat which was being used to conceal the contraband items. On further scrutiny of the documents of the vehicle, , it was revealed that the vehicle is owned by Shiraz Ahmad Dar son of Ghulam Ahmad Dar resident of Batpora Chersoo, Awantipora in Pulwama district of south Kashmir. However, the driver of the vehicle fled away taking advantage of darkness and rush of vehicles.
The whole operation was conducted by the team of Excise department comprising Excise & Taxation Officers, Varinder Singh Billoria, G.L. Sharma and Vikas Anand and Inspectors Adarsh Sharma, Anmolak Singh and Sub-Inspector Milan Gupta and Excise Guard Barket Ali and the personnels of the Police department comprising ASI Rachpal Singh and Constables Surinder Kumar, Deepak Kumar and Mohd. Iqbal.
The contraband item along with the vehicle has been seized by SHO Police Station Lakhanpur for further proceedings under the NDPS Act, 1985. DC Excise Rakesh Sharma supervised the entire operation.