Man held with 2.9kg of opium seized near Bihar border in Chatra

Chatra: An alleged courier of an inter-state opium smuggling network was arrested with 2.9kg of wet opium during a vehicle checking drive near the inter-state border with Bihar in Chatra on Tuesday. "The accused Anil Kumar Yadav was nabbed near Gosaidih following a tip-off," Chatra SP Animesh Naithany said at a press conference. Yadav is a resident of a resident of Sikkid village under Sadar police station of the district. "Police had received information that a man carrying illegal opium was travelling from the Chatra-Jori side and planned to go to New Delhi via Gaya," Naithany said. Acting on the input, a special team led by sub-divisional police officer Sandeep Suman launched intensive checking in the border area.During the drive, police intercepted a passenger auto-rickshaw and noticed Yadav attempting to flee with a backpack. He was chased and apprehended on the spot. A search led to the recovery of 2.9 kg of opium, two mobile phones and Rs 1,200 in cash.The SP said the accused was allegedly working as a courier for a larger smuggling network. "After reaching Delhi, he was supposed to receive delivery details and buyer information through mobile communication," he said.Naithany added that interrogation has yielded crucial leads and the identity of the supplier has been established. Raids are underway to nab other members of the racket. He said traffickers operating from Chatra have links extending to Delhi, Bihar, Punjab and Haryana, indicating a wider inter-state network.