Drug racket busted, 3 caught with 400-gm heroin

Ashok Kaura

Phagwara , August 25

Busting an inter-state drug peddlers’ gang, counter intelligence sleuths arrested three persons possessing 400-gm heroin from the railway road in Phagwara city, Kapurthala, on Sunday. The accused have been identified as Suraj Kalyan, his brother Sikander Kalyan of Ali Mohalla, Jalandhar, Farha Khan and her mother Famida, both residents of Gali No. 5, Mahavir Enclave, South Delhi. Sikander is already serving a life term in Kapurthala jail for a murder.

Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh, AIG, Counter Intelligence, Jalandhar, informed this correspondent that cops had been closely monitoring the activities of drug smugglers in and out of jails. He said Sikander Kalyan, who is in jail, and his brother Suraj Kalyan were in contact with Delhi-based smugglers. The police had got a tip-off that Suraj had received heroin from Delhi-based women smugglers and the trio were going in a Toyota Etios car (PB18EH9811) to sell the same in Phagwara city.

Khakh shared the information with Kapurthala SSP Satinder Singh following which a joint team of counter intelligence and Phagwara police intercepted the accused and found them possessing 400-gm heroin and Rs 6 lakh of drug money, the AIG said.

“During preliminary interrogation, Suraj revealed that he, along with his brother Sikander, had been involved in drug smuggling for years. In 2014, both were booked in a murder case and spent some time behind bars. Suraj got acquittal and was released in May 2019, but Sikander was sentenced life imprisonment, Khakh said.

In jail, Sikander developed links with Nigerian smugglers and directed his brother Suraj to sell drugs after procuring it from Delhi-based smugglers. They have already received two 100-gm consignments which have been sold.

Following the arrest of the trio, the police shared the information with Kapurthala jail staff following which a checking drive was conducted and a mobile phone, with a SIM card, was seized from Sikander. A separate case has been registered against him under The Prisons Act, 1894.

According to the AIG, the smugglers’police remand would be sought for further probe and arrest their other aides. He said Sikander would also be taken on remand after completing legal formalities.