In a significant operation, the Varanasi field unit of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) arrested two individuals, including a woman, for trafficking 5.628 kg of charas worth approximately Rs30 lakh in Sultanpur district on Tuesday.
The arrested accused have been identified as Santosh Kumar Jha, a resident of Supaul district in Bihar, and Shikha Verma, a native of Kandwa in Varanasi. The duo was en route to Varanasi after allegedly sourcing the narcotics from Manali in Himachal Pradesh.
Acting on a tip-off, an STF team led by Inspector Anil Kumar Singh intercepted the suspects near Dehat Kotwali police station. Along with the drugs, Rs2,600 in cash and four mobile phones were recovered.
During initial interrogation, Santosh Jha revealed that he is related to the gang’s leader, Devendra Kumar Mishra, who operates from the Neelkanth area under Chowk police station in Varanasi. Motivated by financial gain, Jha joined the smuggling network orchestrated by Mishra.
Shikha Verma admitted to being addicted to intoxicants and said she was recruited with the promise of money and free drugs. Her presence in the operation was meant to evade police suspicion, as a woman traveling with a male accomplice would draw less attention.
The STF disclosed that Mishra coordinated payments to drug suppliers in Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, and Nepal via online transfers. His associates would then travel with mobile devices to receive and transport the consignment to peddlers in Varanasi and nearby districts.
The duo received Rs50,000 for each delivery, and this particular trip ended in arrest. The STF has handed over the accused to Sultanpur police for further legal proceedings under the NDPS Act and is now intensifying efforts to apprehend Devendra Mishra and others linked to the racket.
