Three held with 3.5kg opium in separate ops

Indore: In a coordinated crackdown on narcotics trafficking, the Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), MP unit, seized over 3.5 kg of illegal opium and arrested three accused in separate operations carried out between March 18 and March 20 across parts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.A joint team from Neemuch second division and the Preventive and Intelligence Cell, Singoli, intercepted a man travelling in a private bus on the Rawatbhata–Kota road near Borabas village in Rajasthan's Kota district. A search led to the recovery of 1.048 kg of opium following which he was taken into custody.On the same day, another joint team from Neemuch first and second divisions stopped a car near Morwan village on the Neemuch–Singoli road. During inspection, officers found 1.09 kg of opium hidden in a plastic packet beneath the rear seat. The accused was arrested and the vehicle seized.In another operation, conducted on the intervening night of March 19 and 20, a team from Neemuch first division acted on specific input and intercepted a motorcycle near Bhavta village on Bhavta–Kuchrod road in Mandsaur district. A search of the side bag revealed two plastic packets containing 1.430 kg of opium. The rider was arrested, and the contraband, along with the motorcycle, was seized.Officials said the total seizure of opium in the three cases stands at 3.571 kg. All three accused have been booked under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.