Eight of drug smugglers’ gang land in Khanna police net
44-kg poppy husk, 4-kg opium, three vehicles seized
The Khanna police busted a major gang of drug smugglers and arrested eight of its members. The police also seized 44 kg of poppy husk, 4 kg of opium, a Mahindra Scorpio vehicle (bearing registration no PB10JD5965) and two tractor-trailers from the suspects.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Khanna, Mohit Kumar Singla, while addressing a press conference regarding the matter stated that on April 13, a police team, led by ASI Pramod Kumar, CIA, Khanna, was present at the T-point near Sai Mandir, Khanna, for checking suspicious persons. The team intercepted a tractor which was pulling another tractor and a reaper. When the suspects were stopped without any suspicion, the driver of the tractor tried to run away but was chased down by the police. The driver was identified as Arshpreet Singh, a resident of Punia village in Samrala while three other occupants, who were also nabbed, were identified as Manpreet Singh, also of Punia, Gurdeep Singh of Ranwa village in Machhiwara Sahib and Gurwinder Singh of Rajgarh village in Doraha in Ludhiana district.
Singla said during the search of the tractor, 44 kg of poppy husk powder and 4 kg of opium were recovered from the attached trailer. The suspects were arrested and a case was registered under the NDPS Act.
During the interrogation of the suspects, it was revealed that the smuggled opium and poppy husk were brought by Rohit, alias RP, a resident of Chakki Mian Mohalla, Machhiwara Sahib, and Balwant Singh, alias Sunny, of Garhi Tarkhana village in Machhiwara Sahib, Ludhiana district, in their Scorpio from Madhya Pradesh and later hidden in a tractor-trailer, the DSP said, adding that Rohit and Balwant were also named as suspects in the case and also arrested.
Singla revealed that in-depth interrogation of Arshpreet Singh revealed that the seized opium and poppy husk were to be delivered to Karnail Singh and Amarjit Singh, both residents of Machhiwara, who used to work as suppliers in Samrala, Machhiwara and other areas of the region. They were also named as suspects and arrested later. More important revelations are expected in further investigation.
