Man arrested for drug trafficking in Pratapgarh grocery shop raid

Pratapgarh police have arrested a 58-year-old man for alleged drug trafficking and seized 1.21 kilograms of cannabis along with cash worth ₹11,080 from his grocery shop in the district. The arrest was made as part of "Operation Prahar," an ongoing crackdown against narcotics smuggling and sale in the region.

Acting on a tip-off from an informer, Manikpur police raided a grocery store in Mundippur Ranapatti village and detained Shyamji Mishra, son of the late Ramji Mishra, a resident of the same village. The illegal cannabis and cash proceeds from drug sales were recovered from his possession and the shop premises. A case has been registered against Mishra at Manikpur police station under sections 8/20 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

Police records reveal that the accused has a prior criminal history under the NDPS Act. A case under section 20 of the NDPS Act was registered against him at the same police station in 1997, suggesting a long involvement in drug-related offenses. Authorities have confirmed that Mishra was previously involved in similar illegal activities nearly three decades ago.

The operation was conducted under the direct supervision of Pratapgarh Superintendent of Police Deepak Bhukar, with Additional Superintendent of Police (West) Brijanandan Rai and Circle Officer Kunda Shivnarayan Vaish overseeing the execution. The raid was led by Manikpur Station House Officer Pankaj Kumar Rai, with Sub-Inspectors Amit Kumar Singh and Manoj Kumar Pandey forming part of the team.

Operation Prahar has been launched to dismantle drug networks across Pratapgarh district, targeting both suppliers and peddlers involved in the illegal narcotics trade. This latest arrest underscores law enforcement's commitment to curbing drug menace in rural pockets where such activities often operate under the guise of legitimate businesses like grocery stores.