Foiling a major smuggling bid, the sleuths of Excise Department today seized 420 kg of poppy husk even as they apprehended the trucker who was transporting the contraband in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir.
A team of Excise Department at Lakhanpur toll post detected 22 bags weighing 420 kg of poppy husk in a truck being exported outside the state, a senior officer said.
The smugglers had concealed the 'bhukki' (poppy husk) beneath fodder seeds in the vehicle which was on its way from Srinagar to Delhi, the official said.
As per the documents produced at the toll post for clearance, the fodder seeds were consigned by a firm in Srinagar to Delhi, he said.
However, when the vehicle was put to physical check, it was found to be loaded with 14,675 kg of fodder seeds beneath which the poppy husk was concealed, he said.
The contraband substance, the vehicle carrying fodder seeds and the driver were handed over to the SHO Police Station Lakhanpur for further proceedings under the NDPS Act, 1985, he said.
The driver has been identified as Abdul Qayoom Khan (42), a resident of Baramulla.
Deputy Excise Commissioner Rajesh Sharma appreciated the role of the staff involved in the raid.
