Chandauli (UP), February 9 The Anti-Narcotics Task Force unit of Varanasi, in a joint operation with the local police, arrested two alleged smugglers and seized nearly 500 kilograms of illegal cannabis in the Chandauli district on Monday, officials said.
The contraband, weighing 499.2 kg, is estimated to be worth around Rs 2.5 crore in the illegal market.
Sub-Inspector Aditya Narayan Singh of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Varanasi unit said the arrests and seizure were made from the service lane in front of Baba Dhaba under the Chandauli Sadar Kotwali police station area.
Besides the cannabis, the police also seized a DCM truck used for transportation and Rs 2,220 in cash from the accused.
The arrested persons were identified as Pramod Gupta, a resident of Balesara in Ballia district, and Akshay Kumar, a resident of Pachpera in Bareilly district.
During interrogation, the accused told the police that they had travelled to Baliguda in Odisha on the instructions of their employer, a resident of Gautam Buddh Nagar, according to officials.
They allegedly loaded the consignment from a local supplier there and were transporting it in the DCM truck to Gautam Buddh Nagar to deliver it to their employer when they were intercepted in Chandauli, Singh said.
Further legal proceedings are underway, police added.