Ludhiana: Bid to send drugs via courier foiled, 2 booked

On scanning the boxes scheduled for international delivery, the courier company found illegal drugs concealed among clothes in two separate parcels

In a significant breakthrough, the Sahnewal police foiled a major drug smuggling attempt after a local courier company found narcotics hidden inside packages destined for foreign countries.

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On scanning the boxes scheduled for international delivery, the courier company found illegal drugs concealed among clothes in two separate parcels. Immediately recognising the gravity of the situation, the company informed the Sahnewal police.

Inspector Inderjit Singh Boparai, station house officer (SHO) at Sahnewal police station, authorised the opening of the suspicious courier boxes. The search yielded 435 gm of opium in one box and 250 gm in the other, both hidden among garments.

Mayank Chauhan, the supervisor of the courier company in Dhandhari Kalan, had reported the contents of the parcels. One box was dispatched by Gurjot Singh from Sunam, Sangrur, with intended recipient Prabhjot Singh in Brampton, Canada. The second box originated from Sarabjeet Singh in Kapurthala and was supposed to be delivered to Balwinder Singh Multani in the US.

The Sahnewal police have registered two separate FIRs against Gurjot Singh and Sarabjeet Singh under Sections 18, 61 and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The authorities are currently engaged in tracing and apprehending the suspects. Subsequently, the involvement of Prabhjot Singh and Balwinder Singh, the intended recipients of the smuggled goods, will also be thoroughly investigated.

The police have advised all courier companies and individuals to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities promptly. They have requested the public’s cooperation in curbing the menace of drug smuggling, which poses a significant threat to society.

Earlier on March 28, the city police had filed a case after 74 gm opium was recovered from a package bearing a US address at a courier company. The contraband was hidden between clothes in the packet. While scanning the package, the courier company employees found something fishy and informed the police. When the police opened the packet, they found 74 gm opium wrapped in three jackets and some other clothes.

On March 24, the Ludhiana rural police had arrested a local drug peddler for smuggling contraband to foreign countries through courier service using fake documents. The police had recovered 200 gm of opium and a car from the accused identified as Kirpaljit Singh alias Vicky of Hans Kalan village.