Brothers held with 4.2 kg opium

In a major breakthrough under its ongoing anti-drug drive, the Jalandhar Rural Police arrested two brothers with a large consignment of opium from Bhogpur. Acting on a tip-off, the police seized 4 kg and 200 gm of opium from the suspects, who were allegedly using public transport to supply drugs across the state.

SSP Jalandhar (rural) Harvinder Singh Virk said the arrests were made as part of a campaign against drug trafficking. The operation was led by SP (Investigation) Sarabjit Rai, with a team from Bhogpur Police Station headed by DSP Adampur Kulwant Singh.

The accused, identified as 24-year-old Wasim and his 40-year-old brother Rafique — both residents of Fazilpur in district Sujanpur, Uttar Pradesh — were intercepted by a police party at Adda Ladra in Bhogpur on 25 April 2025. SHO Inspector Ravinder Kumar, who was leading the naka (checkpoint), found the duo acting suspiciously. Upon a thorough search, the team recovered the opium consignment from their possession.

According to the police, the brothers were en route to Hoshiarpur to deliver the narcotics when they were caught. A case has been registered against them under Sections 18(c), 61 and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the Bhogpur police station.

Preliminary interrogation revealed that the brothers, who run a roadside eatery (dhaba), had turned to drug trafficking with the aim of accumulating quick wealth. They were using public transport as a cover to transport large consignments of opium across the state, believing it would help them evade detection.

SSP Virk stated, “The duo are brothers who operated a dhaba but got into the drug trade using public transport as a front.”

Police also confirmed that backward and forward linkages are being thoroughly probed to uncover the full extent of the smuggling network and identify any other individuals involved.