About 3 qtls poppy straw, Rs 3 lakh cash seized

Excelsior Correspondent KATHUA, May 5: In a major breakthrough, against the narcotics smuggling, district police Kathua seized 275 kgs of Poppy -straw and over Rs three lakh in cash in Rajbagh area of the district this evening. As per reports a team of Police Station Rajbagh during checking at NHW intercepted one Maruti Ecco car bearing registration number JK08F-5283 and seized 55 kgs of Poppy straw in illegal possession of two narcotic smugglers identified as Mohammed Tariq, son of Abdul Hamid and Mokam Din , S/O Shoker Din both of Beril Phinter Billawar also in Kathua district. The police team headed by SSP Kathua, Sridhar Patil along with Ravinder Singh, SDPO Border, Inspector Manjeet Singh, SHO, PS Rajbagh, Kathua and SI, Sandeep Charak along with Executive Magistrate after questioning and taking further lead from the two narcotic smugglers raided the house of one Sumit @ Meeta and Mukesh Kumar @ Rinku both sons of Sewak Ram of village Hardo Muthi falling under the jurisdiction of Rajbagh Police Station and seized 220 kgs of poppy straw and 3,22,260 in cash. The police registered two FIRs after the recoveries and set the investigation into motion. A woman present in the house was also taken detained by police for questioning. Some people had objected against the illegal trade number of times also and recently women sarpanches and panches had also made objection against the increased drug menace in various parts of the district. The police has launched further searches in the area and it is investigating the matter. It also started manhunt to nab the absconder narcotic smugglers, Rinku and Meeta.