The Central Bureau of Narcotics has seized 18.64 kilograms of crude heroin in two back-to-back operations near Lucknow, cracking down on an inter-state trafficking network with roots in the Northeast. Three key members of the syndicate have been arrested, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance.
The operations, carried out under the codename “Operation Black Hawk” by joint teams of the CBN’s Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh units, were built on intelligence about drug movement from the Northeast to Lucknow. According to the Finance Ministry statement, the contraband had originated from a North-Eastern state and was being trafficked into Uttar Pradesh for consumption. The statement does not name the specific state of origin, and officials have not publicly identified it either.
Fuel-Tank Hideout in Assam-Registered Car
In the first operation, CBN teams established a strategic cordon along the Sultanpur–Lucknow Highway after tracking suspect vehicles across several toll plazas. Officers intercepted an Assam-registered Hyundai Creta near Lucknow. The vehicle appeared empty, and its occupants claimed innocence. Suspicion grew when the occupants revealed during questioning that they had refuelled four times within a span of just 500 kilometres.
A physical tapping test of the fuel tank confirmed a hollow acoustic anomaly. The vehicle was taken to the CBN office in Lucknow, where technical assistance was used to dismantle the fuel tank. Inside, officers found a specially fabricated compartment holding 25 waterproof packages containing 16.46 kg of crude heroin. Both suspects were arrested under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985.
Second Seizure Near Barabanki
In a separate operation based on intelligence developed by the CBN’s UP unit, officers tracked a heavy truck moving along the Siliguri–Lucknow corridor. The vehicle was monitored across multiple toll plazas before being intercepted near Barabanki. A systematic physical search revealed 2.16 kg of crude heroin concealed inside a specially constructed secret chamber within the vehicle’s body frame. One suspect was arrested.
Northeast Corridor Under Watch
The seizure underlines the growing use of long-distance trafficking corridors from the Northeast to consumption hubs in northern India. Enforcement agencies in the region have repeatedly flagged the Siliguri corridor as a key route for drug movement. Recent joint operations by the Assam Rifles and other agencies have also targeted the region’s drug pipeline, while state police continue to make arrests — including a heroin seizure in Changlang and an interstate bust near Silchar — as trafficking networks adapt their concealment methods.
The CBN has said further details of the network’s backward and forward linkages are being investigated.
#CBN #HeroinSeizure #Lucknow #OperationBlackHawk #DrugTrafficking #NortheastIndia #NDPSAct #UttarPradesh
