Opium Buster

Busting India’s most notorious drug cartel, former Director General of Police Aloke Lal pens down his journey through a unique and exciting book The Barabanki Narcos. The book covers the period when he was the Superintendent of Police of Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh at a time when it was the hotbed of opium smuggling.

The book starts with how Lal builds contacts with the locals, steering clear of political interference, corruption and intimidation by gangs, and eventually he succeeds. Apart from the events that lead to the drug busts, the author paints a vivid picture of the socio-economic and political backdrop of Uttar Pradesh in the 80s.

Lal in his book has addressed certain key issues regarding the youth getting involved in the operations and the dynamics of the drug mafia. The mafia possessed huge amounts of black money, which corrupted local politicians, district officials and influenced higher rungs of power. He engineers one of the largest-ever opium bust in history. An honest man, Lal refused bribes and offers as he was adamant on busting this horrifying cartel. He strategically used informers and aliases, whilst being the target of deadly enemies. Fearlessly focused on his goal, he carries out his duty and is portrayed as a man on a mission. 

Integrity, values and high levels of dedication are clearly visible in Lal’s journey. Without any self praise, he carried out his duty faithfully and led the action of this operation. The book delves into the finer nuances of gathering intelligence and the challenges involved in dealing with the opium mafia. Gripping the reader from the first page, it unfolds phenomenally, and hence, keeps the reader interested and curious throughout. 

On a conclusive note, the book brings out many loopholes and corrupt practices prevelant at that time. Overall, a must read!