Ranchi: Acting on a tip-off, Ranchi police nabbed a member of a syndicate involved in illegal sales of opium and poppy plant bulbs and seized materials worth around Rs 88.50 lakh and Rs 2.28 lakh in cash from him, police said on Tuesday.The operation was conducted on Monday night in Budri village under the Namkum police station limits, the police said.SP, rural, Praveen Pushkar said that a police team led by deputy superintendent of police Amar Pandey raided the house of the accused, Manish Tirkey, and seized a total of 35 bags of poppy plant bulbs, which are used for making opium, from his house and a vehicle. A packet with 700 grams of opium and a digital weighing machine have also been seized in the operation, he said.“The accused informed the police that a group comprising members of Ranchi, Khunti and Hazaribag district has been formed for illegal opium purchase and supplies, adding that the group had several four-wheelers for the purpose. Raids are on to nab other members of the gang,” the SP said.
