Drug peddler caught with 20kg heroin in Ludhiana

NCB Chandigarh team caught a drug peddler with 20.3 kg of heroin after a raid in Dugri area of the city on Tuesday night, police said. The accused is identified as Sandeep Singh (35).

A team of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) from Chandigarh caught a drug peddler with 20.3 kg of heroin after a raid in Dugri area of the city on Tuesday night, police said. The accused identified as Sandeep Singh (35), a resident of Street No 2 in Janta Nagar near Shimlapuri, was presented before the local court here Wednesday evening and sentenced to six days of remand, said special prosecutor of NCB LS Rai.

According to official sources, the NCB team was following the peddler and intercepted his vehicle in Dugri area on Tuesday when the accused was planning to hand over the contraband. (HT photo)

He said that besides the contraband, the team has recovered ₹5 lakh of drug money, 17 grams of opium and also recovered two live cartridges from the possession of the accused.

The raid was conducted following a tip- off. According to official sources, the NCB team was following the peddler and intercepted his vehicle in Dugri area on Tuesday when the accused was planning to hand over the contraband.

Sources further said that the contraband was to be delivered to a man named Akshay, a liquor trader. However, Rai refused to confirm the name of the person and stated that the matter was under investigation.

The presence of such a huge quantity of drugs has sent shockwaves in the department. It is being probed that whether the contraband was meant for local consumption or was to be smuggled abroad. It is also being proved how the contraband reached here. The previous criminal record of accused Sandeep Singh is also being scanned.

The local police department is also probing whether he was in touch with an international smuggler or terror group sitting across the border.

The recovery was made hours after Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav led raids in different drug hotspots in the town. A police team of 250 personnel raided Ghoda Colony on RK Road and recovered 12 grams of heroin.

Additional director general of police (ADGP), community affairs, Gurpreet Deo raided Mohalla Peeru Banda in Salem Tabri but nothing was recovered.