Opium farming racket busted in Punjab

Fazilka (Punjab): The Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab police busted a racket of illegal opium cultivation in Fazilka district on Monday and arrested one person.

According to the officials, approximately 14.470 kilograms of opium plants were uprooted and seized by the police. During the joint operation, opium poppy cultivation along with coriander was discovered in an agricultural field near Chak Khewa Dhani Bachan.

Earlier, on Monday, the Border Security Force (BSF) recovered a packet of suspected heroin, about 3.306 kilograms, in Punjab's Tarn Taran district.

During the operation, vigilant troops successfully recovered a suspicious black-coloured bag near the Dargah of Bodal Saha Peer Baba, near Mehdipur village in the Tarn Taran district. Upon inspection, the bag was found to contain six white packets ( gross weight approximately 3.306 kilograms), suspected to contain heroin.

A metal ring and four illumination strips were attached to the bag.

On March 17, during the morning hours, acting on specific intelligence provided by the BSF, an Ambush Party of BSF Punjab heard the sound of a suspected flying object and the subsequent dropping of a consignment in the border area of Tarn Taran district.

At approximately 05:05 am, vigilant troops successfully recovered a packet suspected to contain heroin, weighing approximately 610 grams.

The narcotics were wrapped in yellow adhesive tape with a steel ring attached to it. This recovery occurred in a farming field adjacent to Naushera Dhalla village in Tarn Taran district. Following a detailed joint search operation by BSF and Punjab Police around 07:15 am, an individual hiding in a farming field near the narcotics recovery site was apprehended and is currently undergoing detailed questioning.

This successful operation, driven by reliable intelligence and the vigilance of BSF troops, thwarted an attempted smuggling of narcotics from across the border.

(ANI)