Police on Monday busted an inter-state narcotics smuggling network with the arrest of four persons and recovery of over 2.6 kg of opium in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, officials said.Acting on credible intelligence about the movement of narcotics, a police team from Lakhanpur police station laid a check point on the bypass road near Shamshaan ghat and intercepted a truck, they said.

A search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 1.026 kg of opium and the arrest of driver Gurvinder Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran district in Punjab, and his associate Sukhdev Singh, also from Tarn Taran, officials said.

During interrogation, Sukhdev disclosed that the consignment had originated in Gujarat and was handed over to him in Rajasthan by an unidentified handler for delivery to a receiver in Punjab, they said.

Acting on the disclosure, a police team raided a location in Nakki village in Pathankot, where the intended receiver, Rakesh Kumar, was traced.
Police found that the illicit package had been concealed at the residence of Rakesh's neighbour, Ajay Kumar, officials said.
A subsequent search of the premises led to the recovery of the remaining contraband, taking the total seizure to 2.672 kg of opium. Rakesh Kumar and Ajay Kumar were also arrested, they said.
A case of the NDPS Act has been registered at Lakhanpur police station and further investigation is underway to establish the forward and backward linkages of the inter-state drug network, officials said.
The operation was conducted under the overall supervision of Kathua SSP Mohita Sharma, with the police team led by the SHO Lakhanpur and supervised by senior officers, they added.