In a significant blow to interstate narcotics trafficking, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), in collaboration with Bihar Police, arrested three members of an organized drug smuggling network and seized 684 kg of cannabis, valued at approximately Rs 1.71 crore. The operation, conducted on October 15, 2025, in Gaya’s Barachatti area, led to the apprehension of Vikas Yadav from Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh, and Sanjeev Tiwari and Dheeraj Kumar Gupta from Rohtas, Bihar. Authorities also recovered a truck used to transport the contraband, a Hyundai Creta SUV serving as a pilot vehicle, six mobile phones, and two driving licenses.
The breakthrough followed days of meticulous intelligence gathering, with credible inputs indicating that large consignments of cannabis were being trafficked from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh. According to UP STF Additional SP Raj Kumar Mishra, the team tracked a suspicious truck moving from Sambalpur-Boudh in Odisha to Dehri in Bihar. The coordinated effort between the UP STF and Bihar Police culminated in a swift interception, thwarting the smuggling operation and exposing the network’s sophisticated tactics.
During interrogation, Dheeraj Kumar Gupta confessed to leading the drug trafficking gang, with Sanjeev Tiwari as his key accomplice. The consignment, concealed within salt sacks, was sourced from suppliers named Saroj and Ashok in Odisha and intended for delivery to Balram Pandey, a major narcotics distributor in Rohtas. Pandey is known to distribute cannabis across Bihar and bordering Uttar Pradesh districts, including Chandauli, Varanasi, and Ghazipur. The gang employed the Hyundai Creta as a pilot vehicle to scout for police checkpoints and ensure the truck’s safe passage, a strategy that ultimately failed under the STF’s vigilance.
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A case has been registered at Barachatti police station in Gaya under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, with further investigations underway to uncover the full extent of the smuggling network. This operation underscores the growing challenge of interstate drug trafficking and the critical role of inter-agency coordination in combating organized crime. Authorities are now focusing on tracing the supply chain and dismantling the broader network to prevent further illicit activities in the region.
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