Foreigners arrested for drug smuggling double in Mohali

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, September 17

The number of foreign nationals arrested in Mohali district for alleged involvement in drug trafficking has doubled since last year. While this has raised concern among the police over the growing nexus of peddlers with the international smuggling syndicate, it has also revealed that most of them have been staying in India beyond their stipulated visa period.

The Special Task Force (STF), constituted by the Punjab Government to tackle drug smuggling in the state, has arrested 22 foreign nationals from the district so far this year.

 “This figure is nearly the double of last year’s tally when 12 foreigners were apprehended in such cases,” said STF Superintendent of Police Rajinder Singh Sohal. “All foreigners arrested are from African countries,” he said.

 The total number of arrests by the STF in Mohali district has risen from 59 in 2017 to 83 this year. The force, headed by an officer of the rank of the Additional Director General of Police, had been constituted last year.

 “We have taken note of the increase in the number of foreigners being involved in the drug trade. Last year, they accounted for about 20 per cent of the total arrests made by the STF, which has gone up to 27 per cent this year,” Sohal said. These figures do not include drug cases being investigated by the district police.

 The police said 35 kg of drugs and narcotics had been recovered by the SFT in the past two years, of which about 10 kg were seized from foreigners. 

A senior police officer said investigation had revealed that most of the foreigners arrested in the state by the STF in drug cases were based in Delhi. They had come to India on different visas — tourism, study or business. 

“Trading in readymade garments and foreign goods or running salons and beauty parlours are among the activities they usually indulged in as a cover,” he said.

 The embassies concerned that are contacted on such arrests often do not revert back on queries, which hamper investigations. 

The police said, “We do not get information about the credentials or background of those arrested, which makes it difficult to establish whether they were long-time drug smugglers or have ventured into this after arrival in India.” 

“However, they definitely have international contacts and are a major spoke in the drug peddling business,” they added. 

The prime source of drugs into India is from Afghanistan via Pakistan.