Varanasi: A joint team of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and Sonbhadra Police late Monday seized 81.3kg of cannabis worth around Rs 41 lakh that was being smuggled in an ambulance.According to police, the contraband, packed in 36 bundles, was concealed in a secret compartment built beneath the vehicle’s floor.Police also arrested the driver, identified as Sameer Sarkar (35), an alleged interstate smuggler and a resident of Murshidabad district in West Bengal.ASP (Headquarters) Anil Kumar said the police team intercepted a West Bengal-registered ambulance coming from the Duddhi side at Hathinala Tiraha. During the search, officials discovered a hidden chamber made of aluminium sheets beneath the floor of the vehicle’s cabin.During interrogation, the accused allegedly revealed that he was transporting the cannabis from Sambalpur to Sultanpur.He told police that upon reaching Sultanpur, he was to receive instructions on the phone regarding the person who would take delivery of the consignment. The receiver would take the vehicle, unload the cannabis, return the ambulance, and pay him for the job.ASP Kumar said police are investigating the accused’s criminal history, his network, and possible links to other members of the smuggling syndicate.
