No check on smuggling of drugs, liquor along Haryana border

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 25

The smuggling of liquor and drugs from neighbouring state Haryana is going on unchecked in the border districts of the region.

The police have started a drive against drugs and one or two persons are being arrested every day. During interrogation, it has come to light that drug peddlers are bringing liquor and drugs from Haryana and selling in Punjab with an aim to earn easy money.

Mansa SSP Dr Narinder Bhargava said many a youth studying in educational institutues, who sold drugs, had admitted that they did not take any drug, but with an aim to earn money, they sold these in Punjab at double the rate.

He said country-made liquor was not the only item being smuggled from Haryana, but drugs had also started coming from the neighbouring state to be sold in cities and villages in border adjoining areas. The SSP said police were keeping a strict vigil on these illegal activities.

Bhargava said the police have arrested six suspects in a single day on Sudnay. He stated that the Mansa police seized 630 illicit liquor bottles, 6,610 drug tablet, 11 drug syrup bottles, one motorcycle and a Swift car in separate cases.

SSP Bhargava said at Ralla village, police seized 50 boxes of illicit liquor from two persons in a Swift car. The accused have been identified as Jagjit Singh of Longowal and Sukhwinder Singh of Sangrur.

He said during interrogation, the accused revealed they had bought a box of country-made liquor from Haryana at a price of Rs500 per box and they had planned to sell it further at double the price in Punjab.

In another case, the police have seized 6,500 drug tablets from two youth, Jarnail Singh and Hemant Singh of Bhiwani in Haryana, travelling on a motorcycle at Khaire Kalan village, the SSP said.

He said the police arrested Happi Singh with 11 drug syrup bottles and 110 drug tablets at Kotli Kalan village. Similarly, in another case, police have arrested Gurdas Singh of Mansa and seized 30 illicit liquor bottles of a Haryana-based brand.