Two held With brown sugar worth Rs 60 lakh; Nepal link suspected

Lucknow: The STF arrested two alleged drug traffickers and seized 600 grams of brown sugar worth around Rs 60 lakh in the international market during an operation near Itaunja toll plaza.The accused, Prakash Singh and Akashdeep Singh of Lakhimpur Kheri, were intercepted around 8.50 pm following a tip-off. STF teams laid a trap and recovered the contraband along with a motorcycle, two mobile phones, four ATM cards, an Aadhaar card and Nepalese currency.STF had been tracking drug movement across UP when inputs pointed to a consignment being ferried through Itaunja. The duo was caught while entering Lucknow.During preliminary interrogation, the accused allegedly revealed they sourced heroin from Nepal and supplied it to cities such as Mumbai and Pune, where it fetched higher prices.Investigators suspect the pair are part of a larger interstate and cross-border narcotics network. Efforts are on to trace suppliers and receivers.An FIR has been registered under the NDPS Act at Itaunja police station, and further probe is underway.