24 kg morphine seized from UP’s Barabanki, three arrested

BARABANKI: The police have seized 24 kg morphine, worth Rs 20 crore in the international market, and have arrested three accused in Uttar Pradesh' Barabanki.

The police action took place on Wednesday. Two other accused, however, managed to flee.

Police said the gang procured raw material from northeastern states to prepare morphine and then transported that to Bihar, West Bengal and Bangladesh.

SHO, Lonikatra, Ankit Tripathi, said the accused Shani Verma, Ashok Kumar and Mahendra Singh are history-sheeters and part of an organised crime.

“During investigation, it came to light that the accused used to smuggle illegal drugs on a large-scale in Barabanki, Lucknow and surrounding districts as well as in other states through the two recovered vehicles,” said Tripathi.

Sources said one of the absconding accused Haji Shahbaz, in order to doge police, had kept the front part of his house dirty and dilapidated so that no one could doubt his smuggling activities. However, from inside, his house has all the luxuries and is equipped with modern accessories.

The place where Haji Shahbaz, and another absconding accused Osama used to produce fine quality morphine is being traced, the SHO said.