Hazaribag: A total of 1,050 kg of doda (poppy husk) worth around Rs 1.60 crore was seized by Chatra police from a truck on Chatra-Bagra main road near Lamta under Lawalong police station on Saturday. An alleged smuggler from Punjab was arrested while another, suspected to be the mastermind, escaped into the nearby forest, police added.The arrested accused was identified as Deepak Singh, 31, of Mangwal village in Sangrur district of Punjab, police added.Chatra SP Animesh Naithany said, “Acting on inputs that a large consignment of the contraband was being moved from Ranchi area to Punjab via Chatra, a team led by Simaria SDPO Nagar Goje Shubham Bhau Saheb launched vehicle checks. A suspicious truck was intercepted near Lamta and found 85 sacks concealed inside.”“Preliminary investigation revealed that the consignment was sourced from a forested area near Bundu in Ranchi district and headed for Punjab. We are tracing the supply chain, identifying network members, and trying to arrest the absconding accused,” added.The team comprised officer in-charge of the Lawalong police station Chandan Kumar, SIs Vidhayak Prasad Yadav and Varsha Kisku, and armed personnel.
