4 get RI in two-year-old heroin smuggling case

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Hoshiarpur, October 20

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Sandeep Singh Jossan has convicted and sentenced four accused in the two-year-old case of 8-kg heroin that was smuggled from Pakistan.

Drug hidden in vehicle

A vehicle with Haryana registration number was stopped for search at a naka near Thuana village on Phagwara Road. During search, 8 kg of heroin in packets was found hidden in secret compartment near radiator of the vehicle.

Two accused in the case have been sentenced to 20 years rigorous imprisonment (RI) and a fine of Rs 2 lakh (each) has been imposed on them. Two other accused have been sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment (RI) and a fine of Rs 1 lakh (each) has been imposed on them.

On April 2, 2021, the Mahilpur police had claimed to have busted an international drug trafficking network by arresting three smugglers. The then SSP had said that the Hoshiarpur police had arrested three drug smugglers, who were residents of Barnala and Patiala, with 8 kg of heroin.

The accused were identified as Sukhwinder Singh, alias Sukhi, a resident of Channanwal village falling under the Mahal Kalan police station, Barnala, Manpreet Singh, alias Kala, and Jagdeep Singh, alias Soni, both residents of Balveda, falling under the Patiala Sadar police station.

One of the accused in the case, Sukhi, was nephew of Khalistani terrorist Daya Singh Lahoria, lodged in Tihar Jail. The police said Sukhi used to visit Pakistan on the pretext of pilgrimage and developed connections with drug smugglers there. He had smuggled heroin on numerous occasions.

He was earlier caught with 6 kg of heroin and four pistols in Sidhwan Bet in 2007. He was released from jail on bail in 2019. Earlier, cases related to drug smuggling, weapons and RDX were registered against him in Delhi and Ropar.

In the present case, the police had set up a special checkpoint late night near Thuana village on Phagwara Road, near Mahilpur, when they got information that some drug smugglers were bringing a large quantity of heroin from Jammu and Kashmir. The drug was hidden in a vehicle.

Based on the information, a vehicle with Haryana registration number was stopped for search at the naka. During search, 8 kg of heroin in packets was found hidden in a secret compartment near radiator of the vehicle. The police arrested the three accused traveling in the vehicle and registered a case against them under the NDPS Act. The fourth accused in the case, Amrik Singh, a resident of Vasant Vihar, Sirhind Road, Patiala, was later named by the police in the FIR.

While hearing the case, the court found all four guilty and sentenced Sukhwinder Singh, alias Sukhi and Amrik Singh to 20 years imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh (each) on them. In case of non-payment of fine, they would have to undergo additional rigorous imprisonment of two years.

In the same case, two other accused Manpreet Singh, alias Kala, and Jagdeep Singh, alias Soni, were sentenced to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh (each) was imposed on them. In case of non-payment of fine, they would have to undergo additional imprisonment of one year.