NAWANSHAHR: Nawanshahr police have seized 38kg heroin brought in a truck from Bhuj, Gujarat, and arrested two persons, while two others are at large.
All four accused named in the FIR are from the Nawanshahr district. This is one of the biggest drug hauls in Punjab.
Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Ludhiana Range IG Surinder Pal Singh Parmar and Nawanshahr SSP Bhagirath Meena said a CIA team of the district, led by DSP (investigation) Mukesh Kumar seized the contraband following a tip-off.
Officials said sub-inspector Surinder Singh of CIA staff received information that Rajesh Kumar, alias Sonu Khatri, a resident of Rakkar Dhahan village, alongwith three accomplices was arranging a huge consignment of heroin for supply in Punjab. Police laid a naka at Mahalon Bypass and intercepted a truck (PB04V-6366) on Saturday night.
“The truck driver stopped the vehicle and tried to run away but the police caught him and his accomplice. They have been identified as driver Kulwinder Ram, alias Kinda, and Tarsem Lal, alias Bittu.
A search of the truck led to the seizure of 38kg heroin, which was hidden under a tarpaulin in the toolbox,” they said.
He also told the police that he went to the address given by Khatri, where a person came and loaded the heroin on his vehicle. He was to deliver this heroin to the person mentioned by Khatri.
Arrested men brought 30kg heroin from J&K in JanKinda also told the police that he went to the address given by Khatri, where a person came and loaded the heroin in his vehicle. He was to deliver this heroin to the person mentioned by Khatri, they said.
“Kinda even disclosed that earlier he had brought 10kg heroin and then another 20kg heroin from Srinagar and Uri in January... He also brought 1kg of heroin from Delhi this year and gave it to persons mentioned by Khatri. Accused Khatri and his accomplice Som Nath, alias Bikko, are yet to be arrested,” the officers said.
They added that Khatri was a hardened criminal and had 19 cases registered against him, including murder, hurt, illegal activities, forgery, NDPS Act, and Excise Act. Kinda was earlier convicted and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in a case of seizure of 3.45 quintal poppy husk.
SSP Meena said they were still investigating the persons in Gujarat involved in providing the huge quantity of heroin.
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav later said that gangster Khatri was based abroad and they would investigate forward and backward linkages of this consignment.