Chatra (Jharkhand), May 19 : Police in Jharkhandâ??s Chatra district have arrested an alleged courier of an interstate narcotics syndicate with 2.9 kg of illegal wet opium worth nearly Rs 17 lakh during a vehicle checking drive near the Jharkhand-Bihar border, officials said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Anil Kumar Yadav, a resident of Sikkid village under Chatra Sadar police station limits, was arrested during a vehicle checking drive near the Jharkhand-Bihar border. Police said raids are underway to nab the main supplier and other members of the network.

Addressing a press conference at the Collectorate on Tuesday, Chatra Superintendent of Police Animesh Naithani said the district police had received specific intelligence that a youth carrying a large consignment of opium was travelling from the Chatra-Jori route towards Delhi via Biharâ??s Gaya district in a passenger tempo.

Acting on the input, a special raiding team led by the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) was constituted. Barricades were set up near Gosaidih on the Jharkhand-Bihar border and intensive checking of vehicles was launched.

During the operation, police intercepted a passenger tempo. On spotting the police team, a suspicious youth attempted to flee with a black backpack. However, the alert personnel chased and overpowered him before he could escape.

A search of the bag led to the recovery of 2.9 kg of high-quality wet opium, two smartphones, and Rs 1,200 in cash.

SP Naithani said the arrested accused was working as a courier for a larger interstate narcotics network. According to a preliminary investigation, he had been assigned the task of transporting the consignment to Delhi, where he was to receive the exact delivery location and details of the buyer over phone calls.

Police said interrogation of the accused has yielded several crucial leads about the syndicate's operations and supply chain. The main supplier involved in the racket has been identified and is expected to be arrested soon.

Investigators said the illegal opium network operating from Chatra has links extending to Bihar, Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. Police also suspect that the accused had delivered narcotics consignments to other states on multiple occasions in the past.

/IANS