Jaisalmer: The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and Barmer police Wednesday arrested an interstate narcotics trafficker Jaswant alias Jasiya, who carried a reward of Rs 30,000, and his associate Narayanram from Baldev Nagar in Barmer city.Police recovered a luxury vehicle, a pistol with 55 cartridges, Rs 10.76 lakh, about 440 grams of opium milk and three mobile phones from Jaswant.
Police recovered a Scorpio vehicle and a mobile phone from Naranaram who carried a reward of Rs 5,000. ANTF inspector general Vikas Kumar said the team received information that Jaswant was in Baldev Nagar and preparing to bring doda post from Chittorgarh. Acting on the tip off and under the guidance of additional director general MN Dinesh, ANTF and Barmer police launched a joint action codenamed ‘Operation Mona Return’ and arrested both men. Police said Jaswant had earlier been arrested in June 2024. He later obtained a 30-day interim bail citing his wife’s illness after spending about nine months in jail, but did not return to prison on April 23, 2025, and subsequently went absconding. Officials said one of his associates later provided detailed information to the ANTF which helped in planning the raid. Jaswant, a resident of the Baytu police station area, is known by multiple names, including Jasraj, Jaswant, Jasaram and Jasiya, police said. After completing Class 12, he worked as a driver and later entered the illegal liquor trade before moving into narcotics trafficking. Investigators said he operated supply routes from Chittorgarh and Pratapgarh to Jodhpur, Barmer and nearby areas. Police said the first NDPS case against him was registered in 2005 and that he has since faced multiple prosecutions. From 2010 onwards, around 15 cases have been registered against him. By 2024, rewards totalling about Rs 1.10 lakh had been announced for his arrest by authorities in three places, officials said. Police alleged that Jaswant kept illegal weapons. In earlier cases, two pistols with magazines and 63 live cartridges were recovered from him. Officials said he had previously escaped after firing at police, injuring personnel at Gudha Endla, Tibbi and Devgarh, before breaking through a blockade.
