Desperate for American dream, 22-year-old turns to drug smuggling after failed 'donkey' attempt, held

DEHRADUN: In one of the largest drug seizures by Uttarakhand police’s Special Task Force (STF), two men from Khatima town in Udham Singh Nagar were arrested on Friday night for allegedly possessing approximately 1.5kg of heroin.

According to the police, the accused, Harvinder Singh (45), and his nephew Jasdeep Singh (22) are residents of the Sitarganj area of Udham Singh Nagar district.

Jasdeep was previously caught in Mexico while attempting to illegally enter the United States via the "Donkey route."

After his deportation, he decided to join his uncle in drug trafficking, hoping to make quick money to fund his dream of legally securing an American visa.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP), STF, Ayush Agrawal, on Saturday, said, “Both of them were nabbed after the Kumaon unit of STF received a tip-off on Friday. Acting on the input, police intercepted their car near a temple that night. Upon searching the vehicle, officers found the drugs, valued at Rs 4.50 crore in the international market. During interrogation, the duo confessed to purchasing the smack from an individual named Bablu in Bareilly, with plans to sell it to a buyer called Lala in Nepal.”

He added that while Harvinder had been involved in the drug trade for about two years, Jasdeep had only recently joined him six months ago.

“Jasdeep entered the illegal trade to gather funds for his US dream after being deported from Mexico when he was caught trying to cross into the US illegally. Police also seized their car, a country-made pistol, and six cartridges. The investigation is ongoing to track down and arrest other individuals involved in the drug supply chain,” said Agrawal.


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