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Ludhiana STF arrests 50-year-old man with 1.5 kg heroin
The accused had travelled from Patiala to Ludhiana by bus on Monday to deliver and distribute drugs to his customers in the area, the heroin was found in his backpack, which he had filled with clothes to escape suspicion
A 50-year-old man was arrested by a team of officials of the Special Task Force for allegedly possessing 1.5kg heroin obtained from a Nigerian smuggler based in New Delhi.
The accused, identified as Baljinderpal Singh, was arrested near the Ludhiana bus stand. A resident of Patiala’s Guru Nanak Nagar, he was active in the drug trade for a couple of years, police said.
The accused had travelled from Patiala to Ludhiana by bus on Monday to deliver and distribute drugs to his customers in the area, they said, adding the heroin was found in his backpack, which he had filled with clothes to escape suspicion.
Ajay Kumar, deputy superintendent of police (STF, Ludhiana Range), said that the accused was into drug smuggling for the last one year. He said that during the initial investigation, the accused confessed that he had obtained the drugs from a Nigerian national currently operating from New Delhi.
He said that the accused will be interrogated in police custody and more accused are expected to be arrested.
Kumar said that a case under section 21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered at STF Headquarters, Mohali against the accused.
Cops conduct special search operation
However, no major recovery was made during the search operation.
Along with nabbing two snatchers, police held four persons who were consuming drugs in Shimlapuri and recovered 5gm of heroin from their possession.
Dividing the city into four zones, the ADGP, along with the commissioner of police Mandeep Singh Sidhu and other ADGP rank officials conducted an operation in areas, including Amarpura, Prem Nagar, Suraj Nagar and Tedhi Gali in Shimlapuri, Rishi Nagar Z block, and backside of central jail on Tajpur road. They also frisked 296 people during the operation.
Police checkpoints were installed on the roads leading towards the areas and vehicles were checked for recovery of suspicious items, including weapons and drugs. Teams consisting of eight officers led by station house officers conducted searches at suspicious establishments accompanied by women officers.
Conducting the operations at Amarpura, ADGP Farooqui said that the state-wide operation is aimed at instilling a sense of fear among the criminals and building confidence among law-abiding citizens.
He added that police have been able to arrest a number of criminals and recover a huge quantity of prohibited substances through the surprise check.
He said that police have interacted with the residents of the colonies and soon posters will be pasted with helpline numbers in these localities so that the residents can inform the police when the there is any suspicious activity in their area.
A total of seven persons were arrested throughout the operation and two separate FIRs were lodged. A gold bracelet, an auto, two mobile phones, and ₹2,700 were recovered from the snatcher, and a case against them has been registered at the Division no 2 police station.
Rural police led by senior superintendent of police Navneet Singh Bains conducted an operation at Mohalla Mai Jina in Jagraon and Gehna village in Sidhwan Bet and arrested seven persons, including two proclaimed offenders, and registered eight cases under the NDPS Act. During the checking, police recovered 24 bottles of illegal liquor, 6gm heroin, ₹10,000 drug money and four mobile phones.
One arrested in Khanna
A similar operation was launched by the Khanna Police in different areas including Payal, Samrala, and Khanna city. Police teams led by inspector general of police, Ludhiana Range Kaustubh Sharma conducted a checking of 167 vehicles and frisked 138 suspicious persons.
Police arrested one person and recovered seven bottles of illegal alcohol from his possession.
Residents find the operation unsatisfactory.
Several residents in the areas searched by the police said that rampant drug peddling remains a truth despite police’s claims of coming down on criminals. Rishabh, 20, who works as a helper at a factory said that several women are also involved in the drug trade in the area. He added that police started barricading the area way before starting the checking and peddlers could have got a hint and sneaked away.
