STF seizes 8.9kg heroin worth ₹40 crore, arrests suspect in Bhiwani

Haryana Police arrested a drug smuggler in Bhiwani, seizing 8.9kg of heroin worth ₹40 crore. The suspect allegedly operated a drug racket over six months.

The Gurugram unit of Haryana Police’s special task force (STF) arrested a suspected drug smuggler from Bhiwani on Thursday and seized 8.9kg of heroin from his possession, officials said on Friday.

STF seizes 8.9kg heroin worth ₹40 crore, arrests suspect in Bhiwani

Police said the 27-year-old suspect, a resident of Pirawali village in Hisar, was living in rented accommodation in Bhiwani from where he allegedly operated the drug racket.

Officials said the seized heroin could be worth up to ₹40 crore in the international market.

Deputy superintendent of police Preetpal Sangwan, STF (Gurugram unit), said the suspect was allegedly supplying heroin to peddlers in Bhiwani, Hisar, Jind and other districts of Haryana.

“He had made eight to 10 trips to the Punjab-Haryana border in the last six months to pick up consignments. During interrogation, it came to light that he had already smuggled at least 20kg of heroin till now,” Sangwan said.

Police said the suspect had allegedly been active in the trade for the last six months and used to collect consignments from suppliers near the Punjab-Haryana border. Officials added that the drugs were allegedly smuggled into Punjab through the international border using drones.

Sangwan said the seized contraband was estimated to be worth at least ₹10 crore in the narcotics market, though its actual value could be much higher.

STF officials said the suspect was produced before a court in Bhiwani on Friday and remanded in police custody for further interrogation to identify others linked to the network.

Police said they were examining the suspect’s chats on social media and instant messaging applications to trace his contacts with suppliers in Punjab and determine how deliveries were coordinated in secluded border areas.

Officials added that the suspect’s bank account details were also being analysed to establish the money trail and ascertain the profits allegedly generated through drug smuggling and their possible investments.

Based on a complaint filed by an STF official, an FIR was registered against the suspect under Section 21(C) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act at Civil Lines police station in Bhiwani on Thursday night.

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