Drug smuggler gets 10-yr imprisonment

Our Correspondent

Abohar, December 22

A special court dealing with cases registered under the NDPS Act in Sriganganagar on Friday sentenced Kuldeep Singh alias Keepa of Jhabal in Tarn Taran district to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. A fine of Rs 1 lakh has also been imposed on him in the case of heroin smuggling registered at the Hindumalkot police station in February 2012. The court acquitted Balwinder Singh Binda of Tarasinghwala village in the same district, giving him benefit of doubt.

Prosecution had stated that a 92 Battalion BSF patrolling party noticed some persons moving between pillar numbers 277/35 and 279/35 on February 23-24 night in 2012 near the barbed fence close to the Indo-Pak border in Hindumalkot. The soldiers resorted to firing but the suspects fled taking advantage of shrubs and darkness.

Put on high alert, the Border Security Force launched a search and noticed that six packets of heroin wrapped in yellow-coloured bags were thrown in the Indian territory from the neighboring Pakistan area. The same were seized.

The search coordinated by the Rajasthan Police next morning led to the recovery of some mufflers and other cloth pieces. The suspects reportedly abandoned two motorcycles before entering Punjab through Bakayanwala border village, the vehicles were also impounded. Later in September 2012, Keepa and Binda were nabbed in Tarn Taran.