Ludhiana police crackdown on drug smugglers; eight arrested

Cracking the whip on drug peddling a day before chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s scheduled visit to the city, police arrested eight people in separate cases and confiscated 1.5kg opium, 5gm heroin, 20kg poppy husk, and 95,100 banned tablets from them on Tuesday.

In the first case, the police arrested Charanjit Singh alias Babbu of Model House, a businessman, who sells handbags in Gur Mandi, with 1.5kg opium.

Sub-inspector (SI) Neeraj Chaudhary, Dugri station house officer (SHO), said, “Acting on a tip off, we installed a checkpoint at Sidhwan Canal Bridge on Pakhowal Road. The accused was stopped for checking at around 11.30pm, and opium was recovered from him.”

“The accused suffers from drug addiction, and had taken to peddling narcotics to fund his habit. The accused was produced before court and sent to two-day police remand,” the SHO said.

3 held with 5,100 intoxicant pills, 5g heroin

The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA-2) arrested two bike-borne men with 51,000 intoxicant pills in Salem Tabri.

The arrested accused are Raman Kumar, 39, of New Ashok Nagar, Salem Tabri; and Babu Kumar, 36, of Raju Colony on Tibba Road. Babu was staying in a rented accommodation in Sarup Nagar of Salem Tabri. Their bike was impounded.

CIA-2 in-charge inspector Beant Juneja said Raman, a chemist, ran his own medical store, while Babbu delivered electronic items such as fridge, and air-conditioners.

The team also arrested one Rohit Sandhu, 56, of Lohara village, at Gulati Chowk in Model Town with 5g heroin. The accused was employed as a security guard.

Brothers arrested with 90K pills

Two brothers, Rajan Sharma and Rahul Sharma of Amritsar, were arrested with 90,000 intoxicant tablets near the Dayalpur Bypass flyover.

Inspector Surjit Singh, Samrala police station SHO, said, “Acting on a tip off, we arrested the accused, while they were supplying the habit-forming pills to their customers. We are hoping to get important information from the accused.”

20kg poppy husk seized from truck driver

The police seized 20kg poppy husk from a truck that had been stopped for routine checking in Khanna. The Payal police arrested the truck driver, Harpreet Singh of Chakohi village, Khanna.

In all five cases, an FIR was registered under different sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.