Mandsaur: 'Pushpa' inspired poppy husk smuggler fails to fool police

Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh): In what could be termed as a 'diabolically clever' attempt to smuggle poppy husk or inspired by the 2021 movie, ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, one peddler was arrested with a 300-kilogram poppy husk while trying to emulate the smuggling as shown in the movie.

According to Mandsaur police, the accused modified a tanker in such a way that the upper chamber of the tanker filled with water, while underneath was another chamber filled with the poppy husk.

Not even did the accused prepare a hidden chamber in the tanker but also arranged one pick-up (without registration number) moving ahead of the tanker to alert or guide the tanker, just as shown in the movie.

However, the accused failed to dodge the police. The arrested peddler was identified as truck driver Mubarik Khan, a resident of Panpur. Police also apprehended the pick-up moving ahead of the tanker. The pickup driver managed to flee the spot.

Police informed that based on information they got from their intelligence, police intercepted the tanker on Kayampur – Khanderiya Kachar road in front of Hanuman temple under Satakhedi police outpost.

During checking, police personnel felt some suspicion. Cop asked the driver to sideline the tanker. On cutting the tanker, police personnel shell was shocked as they saw another chamber stuffed with the poppy husk.

The value of seized poppy husk in the market is around Rs four lakh.

During police interrogation, the driver informed that he and his brother, Irfan alias Bablu, were hired by Ramkaran Mali, a resident of Rajakhedi village to smuggle this poppy husk to Dashrath Gurjar, a resident of Kuntakhedi.

Based on the information provided by the driver, police registered a case against Dashrath Gurjar, Ramkaran Mali and Irfan who are absconding.

Sitamau police station in-charge Dinesh Prajapati said that the accused are very clever. The mastermind of the entire crime is Dashrath Gurjar. He is also absconding in the rape case.

Prajapati added that for the last several days, the police have been getting news that smuggling is happening in the tanker. The tractor-tanker was caught on the information of the informer. The pickup was also caught, but its driver escaped. A case has been registered against the four accused under the NDPC Act.