Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau.
In a major crackdown on narcotics smuggling, the Special Task Force’s (STF) Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), Kumaon Unit, arrested a 58-year-old inter-state drug smuggler with 323 grams of smack, valued at approximately Rs 90 lakh. The accused, Hameed Raza, is a resident of Veer Savarkar Nagar in Bareilly of Uttar Pradesh.
The arrest occurred on Tuesday evening in the Kichha area of Udham Singh Nagar district. Acting on intelligence inputs, the STF team, led by CO RB Chamola and Inspector Pawan Swaroop, in collaboration with local police, intercepted Raza near an old brick kiln on Daru Road. A motorcycle with registration number UP 25 AE 0952 was also seized during the operation.
According to officials, Raza had been involved in drug smuggling for over two years, bringing smack from Bareilly and Mirganj in Uttar Pradesh and supplying it to agents in Rudrapur, Sitarganj, and Kichha. “He was about to deliver the drugs in Rudrapur when we intercepted him,” said Chamola. “Raza revealed the names of several other individuals involved in the smuggling ring, and we are working to take action against them.”
This arrest is part of a broader effort by the STF’s Anti-Narcotics Unit to combat drug trafficking in the state. “We are committed to taking stringent action against drug smugglers. So far this year, the STF has seized over 6 kg of smack, 19.8 kg of hashish, 5.3 kg of opium, 300 kg of poppy husk, and arrested 39 smugglers,” said Senior Superintendent of Police, STF, Navneet Bhullar, adding that the STF continues to keep a close watch across districts in Uttarakhand to curb the drug menace.
