Truck driver held in Ludhiana with 5.6 kg opium, 30 kg poppy husk smuggled from MP

The arrested accused has been identified as Jagmel Singh from Samrala while the truck owner Taranpreet Singh from Tibba and his nephew Happy are yet to be arrested.

HT Correspondent’

The accused Jagmel Sing told the police that he loaded cycles from Ludhiana, on February 17 and unloaded the consignment in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh. (HT)

Ludhiana

Police busted a drug supply cartel with the arrest of a truck driver and recovered 5.6 kg opium and 30 kg poppy husk from the truck, which was hidden under the empty plastic bottles, on February 25. The truck owner and his nephew, who were allegedly involved in the smuggling, are on the run, the police said.

The arrested accused has been identified as Jagmel Singh from Samrala while the truck owner Taranpreet Singh from Tibba and his nephew Happy are yet to be arrested.

The deputy commissioner of police, (DCP) Jaskiranjit Singh Teja stated that Moti Nagar police arrested the accused following a tip-off and stopped the truck for checking near Mohan Dai Cancer Hospital. The truck was loaded with empty plastic bottles. When frisked, the police recovered opium packed in a polythene bag and poppy husk from a gunny bag. The accused told police that he smuggled the contraband from Mansor, Madhya Pradesh in connivance with the truck owner and his nephew. Police lodged an FIR under Sections 15,18, 29, 81 and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

The accused Jagmel Sing told the police that he loaded cycles from Ludhiana, on February 17 and unloaded the consignment in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh. While returning from there, he loaded empty plastic bottles, procured opium and poppy husk from Mansor and hid them, the DCP said.

The assistant commissioner Inderjeet Singh stated that Jagmel Singh had joined Taranpreet Singh and Happy three months ago. The accused has no past criminal record.