Ludhiana: Three smugglers nabbed with 2.88-quintal ganja

Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, February 23

The Ludhiana Commissionerate Police today busted an inter-state gang involved in smuggling of ganja (cannabis) with the arrest of three smugglers and recovery of 2.88 quintals of ganja from them. The ganja was being supplied from Odisha.

Giving details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said on a tip-off CIA Staff-I had laid a trap on GT Road at Sahnewal where a truck (OR-11J-5919) coming from the Mandi Gobindgarh side, was stopped. On search of the truck in the presence of ACP, Detective, Harbinder Singh, the police recovered 2.88 quintals of ganja packed in 16 bags having 18 kg contraband in each bag.

Bhullar said truck driver Karamjit Singh, alias Pammi, truck owner Manpreet Singh Gora, both residents of Pind Rasulpur Mallan, under Hathur (Jagraon) police station, and Kundan Kumar from Sitamarhi district in Bihar were apprehended on the spot.

He said a case under the NDPS Act was registered against the three smugglers.

The CP said during preliminary interrogation the accused revealed that they were carrying out drug smuggling in the garb of transportation business.

“Karamjit and Manpreet delivered engineering products, including bicycles and parts, in Cuttack and other places in Odisha and on return from there, they used to load iron and other raw material for delivery to industrial units in Mandi Gobindgarh. Kundan had joined them with a consignment of ganja from the Bari Patta area. The consignment of ganja was to be delivered in Ludhiana,” said Bhullar.

According to CP, Karamjit and Manpreet admitted that they were to get Rs 1 lakh for the transportation of ganja to Ludhiana, while Kundan was to get Rs 10 lakh per quintal of ganga on its delivery on the directions of his associate Lal Babu Rai.

About previous criminal record of the accused, Bhullar said Karamjit Singh was earlier booked in a murder case and had been lodged in jail for a period of four years.