Jharkhand Police Seize 330kg Poppy Bulbs, Arrest Two Brothers in Drug Trade Bust

Ranchi: Police have arrested two brothers involved in illegal drug trade and seized poppy plant bulbs weighing around 330 kilograms in a raid carried out at Nauddhi village under Arki police station limits of Khunti district, officials said on Thursday. The estimated worth of the seized illegal poppy bulbs is Rs 49.53 lakh.

Khunti sub-divisional police officer Varun Rajak said, “The apprehended persons are Ankit Hajam and Lalu Hajam, both residents of Nauddhi village. The accused had purchased the materials from the illegal poppy growers of nearby villages. Police are also trying to gather information regarding their wider network during investigation.”

Police said that Khunti SP Manish Toppo received a tip-off that a large quantity of poppy bulbs are stocked in the house of Ankit and Lalu. A police team led by the local police station in-charge Praveen Kumar Tiwari raided their houses to make the seizures. The accused have admitted that they were engaged in trade of the poppy bulbs, police said.

Police stated that a case has been registered against both the accused persons under the relevant sections of the NDPS Act in this connection.