1,100 kg poppy husk seized from village

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 15

Another drug smuggling network from the Kapurthala modern jail has come to the fore. The Jalandhar (Rural) police today arrested two notorious smugglers with 1,100 kg of poppy husk. The consignment being taken from West Bengal was of a smuggler lodged in Kapurthala Modern Jail.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jalandhar (Rural) Harmohan Singh Sandhu said the police had received information that some smugglers lodged in jails were operating a drug network.

During a naka at Khokhewal village, cops intercepted a truck (HR58 A 9721) and during its search, recovered 11 quintals of poppy husk stacked in 56 bags. They also nabbed smugglers Gurdev Chand, alias Gaiba (25), of Mohalla Rangra Nurmahal and Sukhwinder Kumar, alias Billa (23), of Dana Mandi Nurmahal.

During interrogation, Gurdev revealed that his brother Gurnam, alias Gama, a notorious smuggler, was lodged inthe Kapurthala jail against whom several smuggling cases were registered in Punjab and Haryana. On his directions, they were running a drug network in Punjab.

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Fixed smuggling deals from Kapurthala jail

SP Khakh said after Gurnam was nabbed under the NDPS Act, he kept his smuggling network on from jail. “Since Gurnam had links in smuggling networks, he kept on operating the same with mobile phone from jail. He enrolled his brother Gurdev and his old driver Sukhwinder for trade. Even the mobile phone details and tower locations also confirmed Gurnam’s role in drug network,” Khakh said, adding that on the basis of the deal fixed with West Bengal smugglers, Gurdev and Sukhwinder went to Panahgarh city in West Bengal and after taking consignment of 1,100 kg poppy husk, they were to supply the same to Jammu and Kashmir through Punjab. Khakh said they had bought poppy husk at Rs 1,500 kg and were to sell the consignment at Rs 2,500 kg. Now, Gurnam would be taken on production warrant to bust his entire smuggling network.

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History of Gurnam, running drug network from jail

• Nabbed by Nurmahal police station with 69 kg poppy husk on May 6, 2008.

• Nabbed by police station No. 8 Jalandhar with 1,030 kg poppy husk on September 20, 2009.

• Nabbed by Nurmahal police with 240 kg poppy husk on February 2, 2012.

• Faced a case under Section 8(2), 9 Punjab Good Conduct Prisons Act Temporary Release Act for jumping parole in December, 2012.

• Nabbed by Phillaur police with 1,200 kg poppy husk on June 22, 2013.

• Again nabbed by Phillaur police with 8.5 grams poppy husk on 10 September 2013.

• Nabbed by Chajhar police in Haryana in NDPS Act on December 1, 2013.

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Smuggler also a budding Punjabi singer

The entire family of these smugglers has been into the notorious trade for long. Apart from Gurnam and his brother Gurdev, their mother Harjinder Kaur, alias Bilii, brothers Gurpal, alias Pala, Amarjit, alias Ghuggi, Satnam, alias Phullu, and their other kin are already facing several NDSP cases. Gurdev is reportedly a budding Punjabi singer and is also known as Navvi Hans. His Punjabi music album is also reportedly due for release next month.

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EOM