Amritsar: Smugglers’ property worth Rs 9.56 cr attached in 5 yrs

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 26

The financial investigation unit of the Special Task Force (STF) has frozen moveable and immovable assets worth over Rs 9.56 crore of different smugglers nabbed by it in the past five years.

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

Rashpal Singh, AIG, STF, said special emphasis has been laid on freezing properties of smugglers which they made with the help of the ill-gotten money from illicit drug trade. “We are in the process of verifying the details of ‘benami’ properties and land holdings of these smugglers and more would be frozen in the near future,” he said.

Special emphasis has been laid on freezing properties of smugglers which they made with the help of the ill-gotten money from illicit drug trade. We are in the process of verifying the details of ‘benami’ properties and land holdings of these smugglers and more would be frozen in the near future. —Rashpal Singh, AIG, STF

Since its conception in 2017, the STF had seized 347-kg heroin besides over 8-kg charas and 39-kg opium. It also confiscated over 90-kg of intoxicating powder and drug proceeds worth Rs 1.97 crore, gold and silver ornaments weighing around 183gm and 186gm, respectively. It registered as many as 458 FIRs and arrested 941 smugglers and their accomplices during the period.

Talking about the latest trends in smuggling, he said gangsters based in Punjab and who fled abroad have joined hands with anti-national entities in the neighbouring country for smuggling of drugs, arms and ammunition.

The role of gangsters had come during investigation of rackets busted in the recent past. The police were also investigating the role of Pakistan-based militants, who were adopting new ways to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of Punjab.

“Along with drugs, cross-border smugglers were also sending weapons to be used in case police teams tried catching them while retrieving and further delivering the same to their next accomplice,” Rashpal Singh said. He said during the past seizures, the STF was also shot at by smugglers.

Besides contraband, the STF has also confiscated four improvised explosive devices (IED), five AK-74 rifles, 31 pistols, 212 live cartridges, nine magazines and two revolvers till now. With the change in tactics by the smugglers, the Punjab Police, including STF, was also devising new ways and equipping themselves to nail these drug traffickers, he pointed out.

Awareness raised on harmful effects of drugs

Amritsar: To mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, various functions were organised by different institutes to raise awareness about the harmful effects of drugs. A workshop was organised by the district Health Department at the outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) centre here. Deputy medical commissioner Dr Gurmit Kaur said drug addiction does not only harms the body of the addict, but also creates trouble for his or her family members and society. She said 43 OOAT centres were helping drug users to shun addiction with the help of medical care. She said self-motivation to shun drugs was the foremost task for a drug addict and a drug user can easily abandon his wrong habit if he is motivated enough to do so.

In another event at the Guru Nanak Dev University, a 5-km run was organised to spread the message of drug de-addiction. Chief guest Amanjit Singh, zonal director, Narcotics Control Bureau, Chandigarh, accompanied by Manavjeet Singh, athletics coach at GNDU and others attended the event. Amanjit Singh said the event was a part of a series of events being conducted under the theme ‘Nashe se Azadi Pakhwada’ which culminated on Sunday. He said the motive was to encourage the youth and ensure their active participation in the fight against drugs. The Police Commissionerate also organised a run that started from Company Bagh and culminated at the District Administrative Complex. Commissioner of Police Arunpal Singh along with senior members of the team participated in the event.

Youth dies of ‘drug overdose’

Amritsar: At a time when International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is being observed all over the globe, a local youth, identified as Lovepreet Singh (22) of Bhuregill village, allegedly died of drug overdose here on Saturday. Ironically, the family demanded no action and did not even allow the police to conduct the post mortem of the deceased. Nevertheless, the police have registered a case under Section 304 (culpable homicide) of the IPC against unidentified persons in this connection. Investigating Officer ASI Kuldeep Singh said the police got a tip-off that Lovepreet had died of drug overdose. When they approached the family, they did not agree for his autopsy. They also did not name anyone who could have given the drugs to him. The police have registered an FIR and launched further probe. He said Lovepreet was survived by his two brothers and parents. He used to work as a farm labourer. TNS

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