Delhi Police’s Special Cell has arrested three people and recovered opium worth around ₹ 40 crore in the international market, police said on Friday. The accused have been identified as Amra Ram (34), Bhana Ram Choudhary (33) and Bhalla Ram (31), all residents of Rajasthan’s Jodhpur, they said.

The opium was smuggled from the northeastern states and was meant to supply in Delhi and other nearby states, police said.

The accused used a secret cavity to hide opium in the car, which had a temporary registration number for evading law enforcement agencies, they said.

On September 11, police got a tip-off that two persons indulged in drug trafficking activities on the directions of Bhalla reached Delhi with a consignment of opium and would come on Noida Link Road, near Crown Plaza Hotel to deliver the consignment, a senior police officer said. 

A trap was laid and Amra and Bhana were nabbed, along with a car having no number plate on the back side and a temporary number plate on the front side, he said.

A total of 40.865 kg of fine-quality opium was recovered from the secret cavities made in the chassis line covered by the front and back tyre fender liner, the officer said.

The recovered opium is worth around ₹ 40 crore in the international market, police said.

Police found that Bhalla was admitted to a hospital in Jodhpur on September 11 sensing that the members of his gang may have been arrested as their phones were not reachable, the officer said.