The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) carried out a major operation at Charbagh Railway Station on Tuesday morning, recovering 3.110 kilograms of heroin from two women passengers. The seized consignment is valued at approximately ₹21.77 crore in the international market. Initial investigation indicates that both women were acting on the instructions of an organised narcotics network and were headed toward Delhi with the contraband.
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Specific Intelligence, Team on Alert in Advance
According to DRI officials, actionable intelligence had been received a few days earlier suggesting that two women travelling on a train from New Jalpaiguri to Delhi were carrying a significant quantity of narcotics. Considering the seriousness of the input, the agency prepared a detailed plan — from analysing train timings to profiling potential suspects and identifying the likely platform.
Before the train arrived, the DRI team had already taken positions across the station. As soon as the train halted, officers monitored passengers matching the suspect profiles. The two women were intercepted discreetly, and their luggage was checked.
Heroin Hidden in Multiple Small Packets
During the inspection, several neatly packed small packets were recovered from their bags. The narcotics were concealed carefully among clothes and other personal items. On-site testing confirmed the substance to be heroin. The total weight of the recovered drugs was 3.110 kg. Both women were immediately arrested under the NDPS Act, and further interrogation is underway.
Officials suspect both women were being used as carriers. In the preliminary questioning, they admitted that a larger network was directing their movements. The network is believed to be active from India’s northeastern region, supplying heroin to various states.
Rising Consumption and Trafficking of Heroin
DRI officials highlighted that heroin has emerged as one of the most widely trafficked and consumed narcotic substances in the country. The problem is particularly acute in northern India. Data indicates that among injectable drug users, nearly 46% consume heroin, underlining the seriousness of the emergency.
Cities such as Kanpur, Lucknow, Agra, Noida, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Barabanki have become major hotspots for both consumption and distribution. Eastern Uttar Pradesh districts including Chandauli, Sonbhadra, Ghazipur and Maharajganj are considered especially vulnerable due to their proximity to international trafficking routes.
Major Seizures in Recent Years
Since the formation of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), enforcement actions across Uttar Pradesh have intensified. Over 34,000 kilograms of narcotics have been seized in the state since 2022. Specifically, around 97.16 kg of heroin has been recovered in the last year alone.
Officials noted that the price of heroin on the international market depends on several factors — purity levels, trafficking risks, cross-border logistics and demand trends. In many cases, traffickers receive multiple kilos of gold in exchange for just one kilogram of heroin, making the illegal trade highly lucrative and dangerous.
Efforts to Trace the Full Network
The Charbagh seizure is being viewed as a significant breakthrough. DRI believes the arrests could help uncover deeper links within the supply chain. Investigators are now focusing on identifying those responsible for dispatching the consignment and those waiting to receive it in Delhi and beyond.
Sources indicated that more operations may follow soon. Agencies are treating the case as part of a much larger trafficking circuit and expect further leads from the continued interrogation of the arrested women.
