Despite govt claims, drug smuggling networks continue to flourish in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, June 26

Arrest of as many as 206 drug peddlers and consumers and seizure of 83-kg marijuana, 3-kg heroin, 6-kg opium, over 8,500 banned injections/pills/ capsules and other narcotics in a span of six months from different parts of the city highlight the point that despite the government’s tall claims regarding zero tolerance towards drugs, the deep-rooted smuggling networks are still flourishing across the state.

Big fish in police net

• Arvinder Singh Sonu, alias Thutha, who had nearly 28 cases under various Sections of the Excise Act and the NDPS Act registered against him at different police stations in the city, was arrested by the police on May 11
• Sunny, Smile, Divesh, Happy and Luv Kumar, who were facing several criminal cases in various police stations of Jalandhar and were reportedly hatching a conspiracy to rob a goldsmith in the city in near future, were arrested on June 16. The police had seized Rs 6.50-lakh drug money, four .32 bore pistols, six magazines, 32 live cartridges, 103-gm heroin, 550-gm intoxicating powder, a sharp weapon and three cars from their possession
• Vishal Gupta, an active drug smuggler of the city, was arrested by the police in January this year. Over 2-kg heroin was seized from his possession
• A gang of six peddlers, including three women, was arrested in March this year. As per the police, the gang was actively supplying narcotics in the city and nearby areas for a long time. As many as 30-kg ganja was seized from their possession

The statistics procured from the city police reveal that 141 cases under various Sections of the NDPS Act have been registered at various police stations in Jalandhar this year so far. The police also claim to have arrested eight notorious drug dealers from whom a huge quantity of narcotics was seized.

Meanwhile, police officials claim that the number of registration of cases, arrests and the seizures made so far attribute that they have been acting tough to curb the inflow of contraband and illicit liquor in the city.

They said additional police forces have been deployed across the city, nakas have been put on all prominent and sensitive locations, patrolling has been intensified and vehicles entering the city from other states are being searched intensively to check the inflow of contraband like poppy husk and opium.

DCP (Investigation) Jaskiranjit Singh Teja said: “The police have succeeded in tackling the drug menace in the city to much extent as many notorious drug peddlers and hardcore criminals, who were escaping jails for over the last seven to eight years, and who were involved in hooliganism, drug smuggling and other heinous crimes had landed in police net.”

He said six such notorious smugglers and three such gangs, including hardcore criminals like Thutha, Sunny, Smile, who had over 20 cases registered against them at different police stations in Jalandhar and nearby districts, have been arrested by the police. The police have also arrested women peddlers involved in the trade. Besides, with the arrest of these smugglers, various small-scale networks and drugs and arms supply chains had been busted.

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