CHANDIGARH: In one of the biggest opium seizures of a decade, Punjab Police has busted an inter-state opium smuggling syndicate operating from Jharkhand by arresting two big drug smugglers and recovering 66kg opium concealed in a specially designed and fabricated compartments fitted underneath their Maruti Swift car.Meanwhile, state police have also busted two separate cross-border drug smuggling cartels being operated by Pakistan-based smugglers with the arrest of three drug traffickers after recovering 9.2 kg of heroin from their possession.Director General of Police, Punjab Gaurav Yadav said that those arrested have been identified as Sukhyad Singh alias Yad of Dalmir Khera village and Jagraj Singh of Bhamma Singh Wala village in Ferozepur. Apart from recovering big haul of opium, police teams have also recovered Rs 40,000 drug money, and 400 grams gold from their possession, besides, impounding their vehicle and a tractor.Yadav said that further financial investigation and meticulous follow-up in this case has resulted in the discovery of 42 bank accounts, which were being used for financial transactions by the organised opium syndicate. “Following a financial trail in less than 24 hours, the Fazilka Police freezed all the 42 bank accounts with Rs 1.86 crore of drug proceeds,” he said.The DGP said that the Fazilka Police has also initiated the process of property forfeiture under 68F of the NDPS act. Further investigations are on to trace the forward and backward linkages, he added.Sharing operation details, Senior Superintendent of Police Fazilka Dr Pragya Jain said that they had received reliable inputs about the accused persons that they are habitual of transporting opium from Jharkhand and would be returning from Jharkhand to Dalmir Khera via Sri Ganganagar in their Swift car carrying a substantial quantity of opium.Acting swiftly on the inputs, a strategic Nakabandi was established by SHO Police Station Khuian Sarvar Raman Kumar along with police on the Abohar-Ganganagar road at the Bus Stand village Sappan Wali under the supervision of DSP Abohar Arun Mundan. They successfully intercepted the specified vehicle, she said.
Source link
