Jaipur: The Rajasthan Police have frozen assets worth ₹2.82 crore belonging to an alleged drug trafficker from Pratapgarh district, officials said on Saturday. The step was taken under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act after a multi-year investigation linked the assets to narcotics trafficking, police said.
Action under Operation Trinetra
The freezing order was issued under Section 68F(1) of the NDPS Act following directions from Rajasthan Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar Sharma, police said. The move formed part of Operation Trinetra, a state police initiative aimed at dismantling organised drug networks and depriving accused persons of proceeds allegedly derived from illegal narcotics trade.
Pratapgarh Superintendent of Police Vishal Jangid supervised the action, while Additional SP Jaydev Siyag oversaw the preparation of the proposal by Arnod police station. The documents were placed before the competent authority and the administrator under SAFEMA and the NDPS Act in New Delhi, which approved the freezing order on 28 August 2026 and made it permanent, police said.
Accused and alleged offences
The assets belong to Ajab Khan of Devaldi village under Arnod police station. Police records describe him as a history-sheeter and an alleged hardcore criminal. A total of 14 criminal cases are registered against him in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh under various provisions, including the NDPS Act, attempted murder, assault and illegal weapons, police said.
Khan is currently in judicial custody at the Jaisalmer District Jail, after being arrested by Arnod police on 28 March 2026 and handed over to Lohawat police in connection with a major drug seizure, according to the police account.
Link to 2020 narcotics recovery
Police say the case stems from the recovery of 796 kg of doda chura — a term referring to poppy straw or poppy husk — from a truck on 16 June 2020 by Lohawat police in Phalodi district. During the course of that investigation, the arrested truck driver reportedly stated that the consignment had been loaded by Khan.
After remaining absconding for nearly six years, Khan was located and arrested in March this year. The Phalodi Superintendent of Police had earlier announced a reward of ₹25,000 for information leading to his arrest, police said.
Legal and operational implications
Police officials said the freezing of movable and immovable property is intended to prevent alleged proceeds of crime from being hidden or dissipated while prosecutions continue. The order makes the seizure permanent, pending further legal processes under the NDPS Act and related provisions, the police added.
Law-enforcement sources emphasised that asset forfeiture and freezing are tools used to degrade the financial base of organised criminal networks and to support long-term disruption of trafficking conduits that operate across district and state borders.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Value of assets frozen | ₹2.82 crore |
| Seized narcotic quantity (June 2020) | 796 kg doda chura (poppy straw/husk) |
| Number of FIRs/cases registered | 14 (across Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh) |
| Arrest date | 28 March 2026 |
| Freezing order approved | 28 August 2026 |
Local impact and follow-up
The frozen assets include both movable and immovable property registered in the name of the accused in and around Devaldi village, police said. Officials indicated that the action would be followed by further enquiries to identify any additional properties or financial transactions linked to the alleged trafficking network.
- The action was taken on directions from the state DGP under Operation Trinetra.
- The case is connected to a large-scale narcotics recovery in Phalodi district in 2020.
- Legal proceedings under the NDPS Act and SAFEMA provisions will determine the final disposition of the frozen assets.
The police statement underlines continued enforcement efforts in border districts and transit corridors where seizures of opiate-based raw material have been a recurring concern for law and order authorities. The permanent freezing of assets marks a significant development in the long-running investigation tied to the 2020 seizure, police said.
