Operation Black Hawk: CBN seizes 18.64 kg crude heroin in Lucknow

August 24, 2026

Lucknow: The Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) has cracked down on an inter-state heroin trafficking syndicate and seized a total of 18.64 kg of crude heroin in back-to-back operations near Lucknow under Operation “Black Hawk”, officials said on Monday.

According to the CBN, three key members of the inter-state trafficking network have been arrested. The seized contraband had originated from a North-Eastern state and was being trafficked for consumption in Uttar Pradesh.

CBN intercepts Assam-registered car near Lucknow

Based on specific inputs regarding the movement of drugs from the North-East region to Lucknow, joint teams from the CBN Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh units established a strategic cordon along the Sultanpur-Lucknow Highway on the intervening night of August 20-21.

Following continuous tracking of the vehicle across different toll plazas, the strike team intercepted an Assam-registered car near Lucknow on August 21.

Initial inspection revealed that the vehicle was empty, and its occupants claimed innocence. However, officers grew suspicious when the occupants disclosed during questioning that they had refuelled four times within a span of just 500 km.

Heroin hidden inside specially fabricated fuel tank

The vehicle was taken to the CBN office in Lucknow, where technical assistance was used to dismantle the fuel tank.

Officers discovered a specially fabricated compartment containing 25 waterproof packages. The packages contained 16.46 kg of crude heroin.

Both suspects were arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

Further details are awaited.

Separate heroin seizure in Ujjain

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the CBN Madhya Pradesh Unit seized 1.067 kg of heroin from a passenger at Ujjain Railway Station on June 3 and arrested him in connection with its illicit trafficking.

The action was carried out based on specific intelligence developed by the CBN office, indicating that a person was transporting around one kilogram of heroin by passenger train towards West Bengal through the Indore-Ujjain route.

The suspect was escorted to the Office of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Platform No. 1 of Ujjain Railway Station, where a thorough search was conducted.

During the search, officers recovered 1.067 kg of heroin concealed in two packets inside the handbag carried by the accused.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the contraband was being illicitly trafficked from the Pratapgarh area of Rajasthan to Howrah in West Bengal via the Indore-Ujjain route.

The accused was arrested under the relevant provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, and the seized contraband was taken into possession for further legal proceedings.