STF major crackdown on drugs led to 34.73 kg heroin recovery, 64 arrests

Tribune News Service

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Ludhiana, December 24

Setting a record of sorts, the Special Task Force (STF) wing of Ludhiana police range has arrested 64 drug smugglers and recovered 34.73 kg heroin from their possession. The value of the recovered heroin is said to be over Rs 170 crore in the international market.

The recovery and busting of major inter-state network of smuggling became possible with the efforts of officers, Assistant Inspector General (AIG) STF Snehdeep Sharma, DSP STF Davinder Chaudhary and Inspector STF, Ludhiana range, Harbans Singh.

Heroin seizure was 58 kg in 2022

• Interestingly, last year (2022), STF had made more recovery compared to this year as it nabbed 70 smugglers by registering 122 cases and and recovered 58.19 kg heroin. The STF also recovered 8 kg opium, 30.20 kg ice, 32 kg ganja, 29,191 intoxicating pills/capsules/injections, Rs 11.04 lakh in drug money, eight rifles of AK series with 283 live cartridges, 8 pistols and 26 magazines as well

377.91 kg heroin recovered since 2017

• STF Ludhiana range has achieved huge success in taking action against the smugglers. Since the inception of STF in 2017, its Ludhiana range has arrested 901 smugglers and seized 377.91 kg heroin, 13.35 quintal poppy husk, 39.88 kg ice drug, 255 kg ganja, 12.62 kg drug powder, 550 gram smack, 1.36 kg charas, 3456603 tablets, capsules and injections, Rs 2.69 crore drug money, 20 AK series rifles, 14 pistols, 3 revolvers with eight live rounds and one pump action gun

As per the data shared by STF with Tribune, from January 1, 2023 to December 24, by registering 42 cases of drug smuggling, the STF has arrested 64 smugglers. Apart from recovering over 34 kg heroin, the STF has also recovered 285 gram opium, 584 gram of ice drug and 14,780 intoxicating tablets from the nabbed smugglers. Not only this, drug money to the tune of Rs 11.81 lakh has also been recovered from smugglers this year.

AIG Snehdeep Sharma said that whenever the STF nabs any drug smuggler, they always check the backward and forward linkages in detail. With this, the STF succeeded in busting the entire drug supply line. Recently, the STF exposed drug lord Akshay Chhabra, who was nabbed by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for running an international drug syndicate in 2022, and a major heroin smuggling network from jail.

Inspector Harbans Singh said the STF not only arrests smugglers but also takes cases to their logical conclusion by ensuring conviction of smugglers in courts. Notably, several police and government officials were also nabbed by the STF on charges of running a drug network.

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