Drug racket run from Nabha jail busted

Chandigarh, August 24

With the arrest of five drug peddlers by the Crime Branch that led to the recovery of 35.247 kg of poppy husk, the Chandigarh police claimed to have busted a drug racket, which was being operated from the Nabha jail.

A 19-year-old drug peddler, Aditya, a resident of Sector 52, was nabbed on August 16 with 20.442 kg of poppy husk. During interrogation, he revealed that he was working on the instructions of Chandan Kumar, who is lodged in the Nabha jail in an NDPS case. He used to get instructions on the phone from the jail.

DSP (Crime) Udaypal Singh said the bank record of Aditya was analysed that revealed transactions of about Rs 30 lakh carried out in the past four months among accused and Ranjit Singh, alias Kala, Rajwant Singh, Kaliyan, Chandan Kumar and a drug supplier from Chittorgarh, Rajasthan,

On the disclosures made by the accused, another drug peddler, Kaliyan Singh, who works as a mechanic, was arrested from Nawanshahr with 5.710 kg of poppy husk. Also, Ranjit Singh, alias Kala, with 4.470 kg of poppy husk and Rajwant with 4.625 kg of poppy husk were arrested from Ludhiana.

The police said on August 23, Chandan Kumar was brought here on production warrant from the jail.

“Chandan operated his drug racket from the jail. He procured a mobile phone from another jail inmate. The mobile phone has also been recovered,” said a police official. Chandan has two NDPS cases registered against him in Punjab. The main drug dealer, who is based in Chittorgarh, is at large.