Bahraich (UP): A man was arrested near the Indo-Nepal border for allegedly trying to smuggle drugs worth approximately Rs 50 lakh to Nepal, according to an official on Friday.

Ram Sagar, a resident of Duwidhapur in the Rupaidha police station area of Bahraich was arrested in this joint operation conducted by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and local police.

Acting on intelligence, a joint team comprising the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Rupaidha police apprehended a man near Border Pillar 651/11 on Thursday around 10 p.m. During the search, officials discovered 70 grams of smack concealed in a black polythene bag inside the suspect’s pant pocket, according to Dilip Kumar, Deputy Commandant of the SSB’s 42nd Battalion.

During initial questioning, the accused, identified as Ram Sagar, disclosed that he had received the narcotics from an individual in Bahraich and was tasked with delivering them to a contact in Nepalganj, Nepal, Kumar informed the PTI.

The seized smack is valued at approximately ₹50 lakh in the international market, Kumar added.

Circle Officer of Nanpara, Pradyumn Kumar Singh, confirmed that the narcotics have been confiscated, and a case has been registered against the suspect under the NDPS Act at the Rupaidha police station. The accused has since been remanded to judicial custody, Singh stated.

(With PTI inputs)