E-Paper
Ludhiana: 1kg opium hidden in roti maker bound for New Zealand seized
Sahnewal police recover 1.1kg of contraband concealed in two packets attached to the appliance from the parcel office
As much as 1.138 kg of opium, concealed in a roti maker, was seized from a parcel bound for New Zealand at a DHL office in Dhandari Khurd, Sahnewal police said.
The police said they acted on information from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Mohali. The opium was concealed in two packets attached to the appliance, with one allegedly stuck to its upper portion and the other hidden beneath its logo, police said. The parcel, booked in the name of Deepak Bhatia, a resident of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar in Nawanshahr, was destined for New Zealand.
Police have registered a case against Bhatia under Sections 18, 61 and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Sahnewal station house officer (SHO) sub-inspector Dalvir Singh said, “A police team reached the DHL office after receiving the NCB input and searched the parcel. The two packets were found concealed on the roti maker and, when weighed, contained 1 kg 138 grams of opium.”
The consignment also contained T-shirts, turban cloth, dupattas and a pair of socks, all of which were seized along with the roti maker.
Police, however, are yet to ascertain whether Bhatia himself booked the parcel or whether his identity documents were allegedly misused by someone else. Singh said a team was likely to be sent to Nawanshahr to verify the circumstances surrounding the booking.
The police will also investigate the identity and role of the intended recipient in New Zealand, he added.
Similar attempts to allegedly smuggle contraband abroad through courier parcels have surfaced in Ludhiana in recent years.
On September 22, 2023, a Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar resident was booked for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs out of the country through a courier company. Employees of DHL Express in Dhandari Khurd had detected suspicious items during scanning of a parcel and alerted the police.
On August 25, 2023, a Jalandhar resident was booked for allegedly attempting to smuggle drugs abroad through a courier company after 1 kg of opium was recovered from a parcel.
On August 11, 2023, Sahnewal police had foiled another alleged smuggling attempt after a local courier company detected narcotics concealed in packages destined for international destinations. A total of 685 grams of opium was recovered from two parcels, hidden among garments.
On March 28, 2023, the city police had registered a case after 74 grams of opium was recovered from a parcel bearing a US address at a courier company.
On March 24, 2024, Ludhiana rural police had arrested a local drug peddler for allegedly smuggling contraband to foreign countries through courier services using fake documents. Police had recovered 200 grams of opium and a car from the accused.
