Jaipur, February 14 (Udaipur Kiran): Under the ongoing special drive ‘Operation Shikanja’, Rajasthan Police have carried out a major action against illegal narcotics cultivation in Karauli district, seizing 6,067 kilograms of illegal opium plants valued at around ₹2 crore in the international market.
The campaign is being conducted under the direction of the Director General of Police, Rajasthan, targeting organised criminals, mafias, hardcore and wanted offenders, as well as illegal gambling, betting, narcotics, liquor smuggling and unlawful mining.
The operation in Karauli was conducted under the guidance of Bharatpur Range Inspector General of Police Kailash Chandra Vishnoi and supervision of Karauli Superintendent of Police Lokesh Sonwal. At the district level, Additional Superintendents of Police Gumanaram and Satendra Pal Singh monitored the action.
Opium Hidden Amid Mustard Crop
Police conducted a raid in Dhaurera Haar area under Kela Devi police station limits and recovered illegal green opium plants weighing 6,067 kilograms. Two persons have been arrested in connection with the case.
SP Sonwal said the accused had adopted a clever method to avoid detection. They had sown tall and dense mustard crops in their fields and cultivated opium plants in the middle of the fields to conceal the illegal activity.
Acting on specific intelligence, the police team entered the fields and found a large quantity of opium plants.
Two Arrested, One Absconding
The action was led by Kela Devi Station House Officer Ram Avtar Meena. From the field of accused Chaur Singh Meena (37), police recovered 2,955.400 kilograms of opium plants, while 3,112.400 kilograms were seized from the field of Mankesh alias Pintu Meena (32).
In total, the plants were packed into 285 plastic sacks and seized. Another accused, Ghanshyam alias Ghasu Meena, is currently absconding, and efforts are underway to trace him.
E-Evidence Used in Seizure Process
Police stated that the entire search and seizure process was carried out in compliance with the new criminal law provisions, using the e-Sakshya app. The complete videography of the operation was uploaded to the cloud to ensure that evidence remains tamper-proof.
Naib Tehsildar Muniram Meena and the local Patwari were called to the spot to verify revenue records.
The team involved in the operation included ASI Vibhishan, Head Constable Satish Chand, and Constables Shiv Singh, Govind, Omprakash, Murari Lal, Guman Singh, Vinod and Hanesh.
Further investigation has been handed over to Sapotra SHO Abhijeet Kumar. Police are now probing where the extracted opium was intended to be supplied and identifying other individuals linked to the network.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
