PITHORAGARH: The Police has arrested a drug smuggler here and seized 116 grams of heroin worth Rs 35 lakh from him, an official said on Friday.

Neeraj Sarki (25) was apprehended on Thursday and booked under the NDPS Act after 116.73 grams of heroin were recovered from him, said Pithoragarh Superintendent of Police Rekha Yadav.

Rs 2,190 in cash was also recovered from him, she added.

Sarki was also wanted in a previous case in which he had snatched a bag from a senior citizen on February 5, 2025, in Pithoragarh town, she said.

A search for him was ongoing, the SP said.

The clue to his whereabouts was provided by Muzamil Ansari, a co-accused in the bag snatching case, she added.

"We have intensified our efforts against drug smugglers after this significant success, and the district will be made free of drugs," Yadav said.