Lucknow: The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) has busted an inter-state drug trafficking network in Uttar Pradesh, seizing a total of 18.64 kg of crude heroin in a series of operations near Lucknow, officials said.
The operation, codenamed ‘Operation Black Hawk’, was carried out by teams from the CBN’s Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh units. Three alleged members of the trafficking network have been arrested in connection with the seizures.
According to officials, the contraband originated in a northeastern state and was being transported to Uttar Pradesh for distribution and consumption.
The breakthrough followed specific intelligence inputs received by the CBN MP Unit regarding the movement of narcotics from the northeastern region towards Lucknow. Acting on the information, joint teams from the MP and UP units mounted surveillance and established a strategic cordon along the Sultanpur-Lucknow Highway during the intervening night of August 20 and 21.
After tracking the suspected movement through multiple toll plazas, officers intercepted an Assam-registered Hyundai Creta near Lucknow on August 21.
The vehicle initially appeared to be empty, while its occupants denied any involvement in drug trafficking. However, officers became suspicious during questioning after the occupants revealed that the vehicle had been refuelled four times while covering only around 500 km.
A physical inspection of the fuel tank subsequently indicated an unusual hollow sound, raising suspicion of a concealed compartment.
The vehicle was taken to the CBN office in Lucknow, where technical assistance was used to dismantle the fuel tank. Officers discovered a specially fabricated cavity containing 25 waterproof packets packed with 16.46 kg of crude heroin.
Both occupants of the vehicle were arrested. The CBN subsequently carried out another operation as part of the same investigation, taking the total quantity of crude heroin seized under Operation Black Hawk to 18.64 kg and the number of arrests to three.
The agency is continuing its investigation to identify other members of the interstate network, trace the source of the narcotics and determine the intended distribution channels in Uttar Pradesh.
