Nurpur police seize properties of drug peddlers worth Rs 82 lakh

After conducting a financial investigation into the assets of three inter-state drug smugglers, the Nurpur district police have procured orders to freeze their movable and immovable properties worth Rs 82 lakh. The properties have already been seized by the police.

The action against the drug smugglers has been taken under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act.

On May 24 last year, during a special naka set up by Jawali police station team near Dol, the police had recovered 12.156 kg of commercial quantity of a synthetic drug from an Alto car (HP 65-B-0132) and arrested one Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Lower Ropa village in Mandi district.

A case under Sections 20, 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act was registered and a thorough investigation was initiated by the police to smash the inter-state drug peddling network. During the investigation, the police arrested Anupam, a resident of Chalwara (Jawali). Later, they nabbed three other members of the drug racket identified as Vishal, Balbir and Chandel from different locations under the Jawali police station jurisdiction.

Nurpur SP Ashok Ratan told The Tribune that during financial investigation, the district police seized five bank accounts of accused Ramesh Kumar and his close relatives and seized Rs 12 lakh. The police also seized 10 bank accounts of accused Balbir and his relatives and seized Rs 12.26 lakh and also attached a house worth Rs 34.87 lakh.

“The police have seized accused Vishal Kumar’s house worth Rs 22.87 lakh. After completing financial investigation and seizure of the property worth around Rs 82 lakh, a detailed report had been submitted to the Competent Authority, (NDPS), Delhi for procuring freezing order of these properties,” the SP added.

The district police have so far seized properties worth Rs 18.70 crore of 11 notorious drug smugglers this year until yesterday. The SP claimed that the freezing of properties raised through money earned by drug business and detention orders being procured under the PIT-NDPS Act were playing a significant role in crackdown on notorious and habitual drug peddlers active in the border district.

Meanwhile, the Jawali police arrested Chandan Kumar, a resident of Chalwara (Jawali), on Sunday with 19.76-gm opium. A case under Section 18 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused.