2 held with 35 quintal of poppy husk

Jaswant Shetra

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 25

The Jagraon police today claimed to have arrested two drug peddlers with 35 quintal of poppy husk. They have been identified as Gurparmjit Singh, alias Pamma, of Sidhwan Khurd village near Jagraon; and Gurdeep Singh, alias Deepu, of Swaddi Khurd village, near Jagraon. The police have registered a case under the NDPS Act against them at the Hathur station.

The suspects were arrested on the Hathur-Chakar link road by a team of the CIA Staff following a tip-off. The police also impounded a truck, an SUV and an MPV used for smuggling the contraband.

Jagraon SSP Varinder Singh Brar said an informer had told them that drug peddlers were trying to smuggle poppy husk into the Hathur area. A police team, led by Inspector Iqbal Hussain, set up a naka over a drain located on the Chakar-Mallha link road. “The police team signalled a Mahindra Scorpio and a Toyota Innova to stop. They recovered 40 bags containing 35-kg poppy husk each from both vehicles. The police arrested both drivers and seized the drug,” said Brar.

The interrogation of the suspects led to the recovery of 61 more bags of poppy husk and a truck used by the smugglers. “During further investigation, the police learnt that the drug-peddling racket was being run by Pippal Singh and Nishan Singh, both residents of Daulewala village in Moga district. Both of them are notorious smugglers and are at present lodged in the jail. They are still carrying out their smuggling activities from the jail through their associates, Bachitter Singh of Hirdewal village, and Mannu of Bhinder Kalan village in Moga district,” said the SSP. Bachitter and Mannu have absconded.