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The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) has dismantled an inter-state drug trafficking network in Uttar Pradesh after carrying out two coordinated operations near Lucknow under ‘Operation Black Hawk’, resulting in the seizure of 18.64 kg of crude heroin and the arrest of three accused.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the operations were conducted jointly by teams from the CBN’s Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh units following intelligence inputs regarding the movement of narcotics from the North-East towards Lucknow.
Heroin hidden inside car’s fuel tank
Acting on the intelligence, CBN teams established a strategic cordon along the Sultanpur-Lucknow Highway during the intervening night of August 20 and 21.
On August 21, officers intercepted an Assam-registered Hyundai Creta near Lucknow. The vehicle initially appeared to be empty, and the occupants denied any involvement in drug trafficking.
However, during questioning, CBN officers noticed discrepancies in their statements. The occupants reportedly disclosed that the vehicle had been refuelled four times while travelling around 500 km.
The information prompted officers to conduct a detailed examination of the vehicle. During inspection of the fuel tank, officials detected what they described as a hollow acoustic anomaly, raising suspicion that the tank had been modified to conceal contraband.
The vehicle was subsequently taken to the CBN office in Lucknow for a more detailed examination. With technical assistance, officers dismantled the fuel tank and discovered a specially fabricated concealed compartment.
The compartment contained 25 waterproof packages carrying 16.46 kg of crude heroin. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the recovery.
Truck intercepted on Siliguri-Lucknow corridor
In a separate operation, the CBN’s Uttar Pradesh Unit developed intelligence regarding the movement of a heavy truck carrying contraband along the Siliguri-Lucknow corridor.
CBN teams tracked the vehicle across multiple toll plazas before intercepting it near Barabanki.
A detailed search of the truck led to the discovery of another concealed compartment, this time specially constructed inside the vehicle’s body frame. Officers recovered 2.16 kg of crude heroin from the secret chamber and arrested one suspect.
Total seizure of 18.64 kg heroin
The two operations resulted in the combined seizure of 18.64 kg of crude heroin. The CBN also impounded both vehicles allegedly used to transport the contraband.
The agency said preliminary investigation indicated that the drugs had originated from a North-Eastern state and were being transported to Uttar Pradesh for consumption.
All three accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
The CBN said further financial and logistical investigations are underway to identify the upstream suppliers operating in the North-East and trace the downstream distribution network in Uttar Pradesh.
The agency is also examining the trafficking route, the logistics used to conceal and transport the heroin, and the wider network allegedly involved in moving the contraband across states.
