NCB raids South City nightclub

Officials from the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal office in Chandigarh carried out a surprise inspection at a nightclub in South City here. Sources on Tuesday said the raid was conducted on Saturday night. The development came following the intelligence gathered during a covert probe done by the country’s premier agency.

The NCB sleuths reached the club posing as clients. The investigators had reportedly learnt that drug sellers had begun targeting the city’s club-hopping youth, pulling them into a well-coordinated network of narcotics distribution.

It is learnt that the NCB sleuths had carried out the operation secretly and the Ludhiana police were not kept in the loop.

Sources familiar with the development revealed that the traffickers had adopted a new tactic: blending in with regular party crowds. After spotting potential customers, they allegedly persuade them to slip into club washrooms, where they offer small samples and push them towards buying drugs under the pretext of party fun. Washrooms, the sources added, were favoured for such exchanges as they fall outside the CCTV camera coverage, allowing the dealers to operate with minimal risk.

The substances being circulated through the method reportedly include marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and ‘drug ice’, often sold in small amounts so that transactions remain discreet and less likely to draw attention.

The investigators have also identified several busy nightlife hubs — particularly venues along Canal Road and in the South City area — that are now under active surveillance. The NCB is believed to be preparing focused raids during peak nightlife hours to intercept peddlers on the spot and cut off the growing flow of drugs into the city’s night-time entertainment circuit.

In recent years, the agency has stepped up its efforts nationwide to curb drug use in high-profile social settings such as parties, clubs and private events. One of its most publicised operations was the raid on a luxury cruise ship off the Mumbai coast, where several people were detained on suspicion of possessing or consuming narcotics.