Maharashtra police recover opium worth Rs 21.5 lakh in Palghar, three held

Police in Maharashtra’s Palghar district have seized opium worth Rs 21.52 lakh and arrested three persons in a major narcotics operation, officials said on Thursday.

Acting on a specific tip-off , a police team carried out a raid on February 2 at a room adjoining a house in Somta village . During the search, officers recovered 143.51 kg of dried opium poppy pods and powder , commonly known as doda powder , Palghar Superintendent of Police Yatish Deshmukh said.

The accused have been identified as Mahendra Kashinath Guroda, Sunil Biyaram Bishnoi and Babulal Shivshankar Yadav . All three were arrested from the spot and booked under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act .

Officials said the seizure is part of intensified enforcement efforts against illegal drug trade in Palghar and surrounding areas, which have witnessed several drug-related actions in recent months. Investigations are ongoing to ascertain the source of the contraband and to determine whether the accused are linked to a larger inter-district or inter-state trafficking network.