Haryana: 2 vehicles of ‘drug peddler’ frozen

Ramandeep of Ratia was arrested on May 7 and seven-gm heroin was recovered from his possession, following which a case under the NDPS Act was registered

Fatehabad police have frozen two Mahindra Scorpio vehicles, collectively valued at around ₹30 lakh, belonging to a Ratia-based alleged drug trafficker as part of a financial investigation into assets linked to drug trafficking, police said on Saturday.

The accused has been facing several cases under the NDPS Act.

The vehicles belonging to Ramandeep, a resident of Ward 13, Tibba Colony, Ratia, were frozen under Section 68-F(1) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The freezing order issued by the police on August 11 was approved by the competent authority under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, New Delhi, on September 9, officials said.

ASP Divyanshi Singla said the action followed a financial investigation into Ramandeep’s income, assets and sources of funds in connection with a 2016 heroin case.

According to police, Ramandeep was arrested on May 7 and seven-gm heroin was recovered from his possession. A case under the NDPS Act was registered at City Ratia police station.

A financial investigation was subsequently conducted by the Property Attachment Cell and Fatehabad police officials. The freezing order means the vehicles cannot be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of without permission from the competent authority, police said.

Singla said police had arrested 480 alleged drug traffickers in the district between January 1 and September 12 this year. During the same period, properties belonging to 32 alleged drug traffickers, valued at a total of ₹5,24,98,149, had been frozen following financial investigations.