Ludhiana junction station: Two-fold spike in recoveries of ganja opium

Apart from these 14,400 intoxicating pills/capsules, including anti-anxiety medication Alprazolam, and schedule ‘H’ medicines like Tramadol and Lomotil, along with 60 bottles of banned cough syrup were also seized

The government railway police (GRP) station at the Ludhiana Junction station recovered over 98 kg of ganja, 58 kg of opium and 27 kg of poppy husk in 2023, official data revealed. This is nearly a two-fold spike from 2022, when 58.7 kg of ganja and 28.7 kg of opium was recovered.

GRP also recovered seven pistols, one cartridge and magazine and five knives in 2023. (iStock)

Besides, 14,400 intoxicating pills/capsules, including anti-anxiety medication Alprazolam, and schedule ‘H’ medicines like Tramadol and Lomotil, along with 60 bottles of banned cough syrup were also seized.

“Our teams are on ground around the clock, monitoring suspicious people,” said inspector Balwinder Singh, head of Criminal Investigation Agency (CIA) team at the station.

Notably, the CIA had also nabbed an opium kingpin from Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly.

Singh said most of the drugs were found on the trains from Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal. “Trains coming from these states are constantly on our radar as these places have a huge supply of these illicit substances, Jharkhand especially, where opium is grown in large quantities in the naxal-influenced areas,” Singh added.

GRP also recovered seven pistols, one cartridge and magazine and five knives in 2023.

Most of the recoveries were made during the regular checking based on suspicion and police officers lamented the lack of proper inspection and screening at the various entry and exit points of the station, which makes it very hard to completely come down on such activities.

Screening woes

The station, the state’s biggest, has an average daily footfall of around 50,000, does not even have a single functioning luggage scanner at present. Over six months ago, the station went into redevelopment. The luggage machine at the time was shifted to the new entry point adjacent to the ticket counter, but remains out of service.

Senior divisional security commissioner (DSC), Rajnish Tripathi last week said, “The maintenance contract for the luggage scanner had been finalised and it will be functional soon.”

When approached again, the Ferozepur Railways Division did not reply.

Currently, an RPF constable sits at the entrance with a hand-held metal detector to scan baggages coming into the station.