Mohali | 3 caught smuggling opium in ambulance with fake patient

The trio, who later confessed to smuggling opium at least 12 times in the past, would have got away this time too had alert cops not sensed something amiss. One of the cops got suspicious when he saw that there was no medical team, first-aid kit or even an oxygen cylinder inside the ambulance.

Three members of an inter-state gang of smugglers landed in the police net while trying to sneak in opium into Mohali in an ambulance, with one of them posing as a patient. The other two accused were posing as the driver and the attendant.

The ambulance in which three persons were smuggling opium. One person was posing as patient and lying on a stretcher. On checking, cops found that 8kg opium was hidden in a pillow on which the fake patient lay. (HT Photo)

The trio, who later confessed to have smuggled the contraband at least 12 times in the past, would have got away this time too had alert cops not sensed something amiss.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vivek Sheel Soni said that during a special drive against drugs a team stopped an ambulance coming from Ambala side at a naka laid near Dappar village on Ambala-Chandigarh highway.

One of the cops got suspicious when he saw that there was no medical team, first-aid kit or even an oxygen cylinder inside the ambulance.

The team immediately signaled the driver to stop, following which 8kg opium was found hidden in a pillow on which the person posing as patient was lying.

The accused were identified as Ravi Shrivastav, 28, a resident of Ram Darbar, Harinder Sharma, 47, of Naya Gaon in Mohali and Ankush of Khuda Alisher in Chandigarh.

The SSP said that during interrogation, the trio admitted to smuggling 8 to 10 kg of opium about 12 times. They used to bring the contraband from Haryana and supply it in Mohali and nearby districts of Punjab, the SSP added.

A case under Sections 18/61/85 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act was registered at Lalru police station. All three accused were produced in a local court, from where they were sent to three-day police remand.