One held with 3-kg opium in Mansa

Bathinda, November 27

In its ongoing drive to curb the menace of drugs from this inter-state border district, the Mansa police on Tuesday arrested a person with 3 kgs of opium.

Divulging more details about the drive against drugs, Mansa SSP Mandhir Singh said the accused had been identified as Gurlal Singh (50), a resident of Danewala village falling under the Jhunir police station of Mansa.

A case under Sections 18, 25, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against Gurlal.

The accused was intercepted by a police party headed by ASI Balwinder Singh from the CIA near Jhunir while he was carrying the contraband in a Tata Indica (silver), with registration number of Delhi. He was driving the car on the Jhunir-Danewal village route.

The opium smuggler was then taken to the Jhunir police station where during preliminary investigation it was found that he had purchased opium from a person from Madhya Pradesh.

SP (D) Anil Kumar said the accused admitted to have purchased the opium for Rs 3.90 lakh at the price of Rs 1.30 lakh per kg.

After buying the opium from an unidentified person from MP, he planned to sell it for Rs 2 lakh per kg. The accused also admitted to have been into this illegal trade for the past around two-three months.

SSP Mandhir Singh said so far, 13 persons had been arrested under different sections of the NDPS Act in the district. The police have recovered 57 kgs of poppy husk in different cases this month.

Similarly, 67 persons have been arrested under the Excise Act from whom two liquor ‘bhattis’, 530 lts of laahan and 429 boxes of liquor have been recovered. — TNS