Three arrested with 1.6 kg of heroin worth Rs 8 crore in Ludhiana

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 28

The Special Task Force (STF) wing of Ludhiana today claimed to have apprehended three persons and seized 1.6 kg of heroin from their possession. The value of the seized contraband is said to be Rs 8 crore in the international market.

The suspects have been identified as Shubham Sidhu, alias Ganju (26), Sonu (28), both residents of Ghora Colony, and Dimple Kumar, alias Babbu (40), of Hargobind Nagar. A case under the NDPS Act was yesterday registered against them.

STF inspector Harbans Singh in a statement issued said on May 27, a tip-off was received that the suspects were into heroin smuggling for a long time and they were on the way to Ludhiana from Ferozepur to deliver a huge quantity of heroin to their clients in a Maruti Ertiga vehicle (bearing registration no. PB10EV1567).

He said the STF team laid a naka on the GT road in Jhande village where the vehicle was signalled to stop for checking. Initially, the driver of the vehicle tried to flee the place but the STF personnel nabbed the three occupants. As the police officials started checking the vehicle, 1.6 kg of heroin was found hidden beneath the driver’s seat.

During preliminary questioning, Shubham said he was into the trade for a long time and he had already been facing cases of drug smuggling and under the Arms Act. In 2020, he came out from jail on bail and continued the trade. Dimple said he was a taxi driver and he was also facing an attempt-to-murder case registered against him in the past, the Inspector said.

Dimple and Shubham were also drug addicts and they were residents of notorious Ghora Colony, which is known as ‘den of drugs’. Sonu is also a taxi driver.

Notably, Tarun Sidhu, brother of Shubham Sidhu, was also a notorious smuggler and the STF had nabbed him a few months ago. At present, he is lodged in the Central Jail, Ludhiana.