Patiala police have busted a drug peddling racket, operating from Nabha with the arrest of two members of a family, including a woman.
The drug was being sold from a chemist shop on the pretext that the packet of 'medicines' was meant for patients wanting to get out of drugs.
The alleged kingpin, Amarjit, is absconding. The other accused have been identified as Amarjit's wife Gurmeet Kaur and son Bikramjit Singh.
A chemist shop owner Amarjit , who provided drugs to youth on the pretext of a supplement to shun drug addiction for over four years now. Apparently, the earnings from the crime helped him open a luxurious hotel cum restaurant in Nabha two years ago.
SSP Hardial Singh Mann said that besides a medical store in the name of Guru Ramdas Medical Centre, the accused used to run drug business from their residence in Nabha.
SSP said the accused used to grind banned drug tablets and capsules and then sell powder to gullible persons, who approached them to leave their drug habit.
Acting on the tip off, Police conducted a raid at the accused's residence and confiscated a huge cache of drugs including 50,000 habit-forming tablets, 500gram intoxicating brown coloured powder, 380 capsules and 75 Kg of drug powder from their possession.
The police also seized Rs 2.42 lakh from them. SSP said that the accused have confessed to owning two other outlets in Patiala and two at Karnal in Haryana.
Acting on the tip off, Police conducted a raid at the accused's residence and confiscated a huge cache of drugs including 50,000 habit-forming tablets, 500gram intoxicating brown coloured powder, 380 capsules and 75 Kg of drug powder from their possession.
The police also seized Rs 2.42 lakh from them. SSP said that the accused have confessed to owning two other outlets in Patiala and two at Karnal in Haryana.
"Police teams were sent to different outlets to conduct raids at the other centres." He added action will also be initiated against pharmaceutical licence holder on whose license the accused were running this business.