Drug runners using scrap-dealing as front held in Lucknow
Lucknow Police arrested two men using a scrap business to smuggle 5.5 kg of marijuana, revealing a supply chain from Odisha. Investigations ongoing.
In a crackdown on the city’s illegal drug trade, Lucknow Police arrested two men who were using their scrap trading business as a front to smuggle and sell marijuana.
“The accused were caught red-handed with 5.5 kilograms of illegal ganja, exposing a supply chain that ran from Odisha to various parts of Lucknow,” said Shivanand Mishra, SHO, Madiaon Police station. He said that the accused were arrested near the Engineering College bridge, following a late-night patrol and a tip-off from an informer.
“The two men were intercepted while they were waiting to deliver the contraband to customers,” he added.
“Upon interrogation, the accused Santosh Patel, 40, and Parmendra, 34, admitted that they used to purchase marijuana in bulk from Odisha at cheap rates and sell it illegally at inflated prices in Lucknow. Their goal was to earn quick profits with minimal risk. By posing as scrap traders, they had managed to avoid suspicion and quietly run their drug business,” read a release from the police department. The duo, originally from West Champaran, Bihar, were currently living in Kanchanpuri Matiari of Chinhat.
According to the police, investigations are also underway to determine if the duo has a broader network or prior criminal records in other police jurisdictions.
