The group has been smuggling heroin from Ranchi to Delhi-NCR and UP via buses, trains or cars accompanied by women from their families to escape police radar

New Delhi, September 5

The Ghaziabad police busted a gang of five persons who were allegedly smuggling heroin worth approximately Rs 1 crore from Jharkhand to other states. 

The accused have been identified as Shyam Bihari and Gavendra from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, Vinod Kumar Gupta from Latehar district in Jharkhand, Devendra, who belongs to UP’s Badaun, and a woman. 

The Ghaziabad crime branch carried out the operation and arrested the accused from Diamond Flyover around five kg of heroin from the accused along with a Maruti Eeco car that they were travelling in.

The police investigation has revealed that this time, they were smuggling heroin via train and were to deliver it to someone in Bareilly.

According to the police, Vinod Kumar Gupta, a resident of Latehar in Jharkhand, is a courier who along with his sister tried to smuggle drugs via train to curb any suspicions about drug smuggling. Additionally, we have also apprehended Shyam Bihari from Bareilly, who had placed the order and would, in turn, sell the said drugs to buyers in Delhi, Uttarakhand, Haryana, and Punjab for Rs 1 lakh per kg.

The officials stated that during questioning, it was revealed that Shyam Bihari would place his order through another person named Dablu, who is a resident of Ranchi. Bihari would transfer the money online to Dablu who would, in turn, procure the drugs for Bihari, earning some profit along the way. 

Gupta revealed during questioning that he is a graduate and drives an e-rickshaw in Ranchi. The group has been smuggling heroin from Ranchi to North Indian states via buses, trains or cars. To reduce suspicion they were accompanied by women from their families. They would carry heroin to cities in Uttar Pradesh like Aligarh, and Bareilly, as well as to Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), added officials. 

The police also found out that the accused changed cars, switched off their phones and would cut off all communication until the drugs were delivered to the buyer at a given location and time. When a buyer would place an order for heroin, they would first ensure that the requisite price of the drug based on demand is transferred into their bank accounts before delivering it.

Another accused and shoe seller Shyam Bihari revealed that he would carry the illegal drugs along with his associate Gavendra in a rented car to Ghaziabad, Dehradun, Moradabad, Bareilly, and Aligarh. He was to supply this batch of heroin to Western UP and Uttarakhand, according to the police.

The driver of the vehicle Devendra revealed during questioning that he had been supplying drugs along with other gang members for a while, added officials.