Four held for drug peddling in separate raids across Chatra district

Chatra: Four drug peddlers were arrested in three separate raids which were carried out across the district in the past 24 hours, police said on Tuesday.A police team arrested Sunil Kumar from his house in Charakakhurd village with 83.79 kg of poppy husk under Pratappur police station limits late on Monday. The recovered contraband is worth of Rs 12.56 lakh. Sadar sub-divisional police officer Sunny Vardhan said the raid was carried out based on a tip-off received by SP Animesh Naithany about a large consignment of narcotics contraband stocked for smuggling into to Bihar. “A special team raided the residence of accused Sunil Kumar and recovered 83.79 kg of poppy husk concealed in six plastic sacks,” he said.In Gidhaur, one Deepak Kumar was apprehended with 44 grams of brown sugar worth around Rs 9 lakh. Local police said Deepak was arrested during a raid near Japua ground on the Chatra-Hazaribag Main Road on Tuesday. “The accused is being questioned to ascertain the source of the contraband and identify other persons involved in the trafficking network. The accused was produced before a court and sent to judicial custody,” DSP headquarters Sunil Kumar Singh said.In another raid in Paradih forest under Sadar police station limits on Tuesday, two drug peddlers were held with 522 grams of opium valued at around Rs 2.5 lakh. The arrested accused were identified as Rupesh Kumar of Hedum village under Lawalong police station and Dipanshu Kumar of Parsouni village under Itkhori police station. “Efforts are also underway to identify other members of the network involved in the illegal trade,” Vardhan said.