Punjab Police’s counter intelligence wing on Sunday busted another inter-state drug smuggling racket and recovered 2.5 quintal poppy husks being transported in a truck generally used to supply milk in Satnampura locality of Phagwara.
A senior police officer said that one Karam Singh, resident of Allott village in Fatehgarh Sahib district, has been arrested and the truck has been impounded.
In preliminary interrogation, it has been revealed that the arrested accused was in contract with Amul Milk, Chunni, Fatehgarh Sahib, to supply Milk in Haryana and Punjab areas. “He has one covered body type truck especially made for supplying milk, which he was now using to hide and smuggle drug to leave no chance of doubt,” said the officer.
The officer said that the counter intelligence wing has been keeping close vigil on the activities of drug smugglers and today, the wing got a tip-off that a large haul of drug consignment is being supplied in a Mahindra Jumbo bearing the registration number (PB11-CJ-2083) from MP-based drugs smugglers.
Acting swiftly on the input, the information was immediately shared with Kapurthala SSP Satinder Singh following which a joint team of counter intelligence wing Jalandhar and Police Station Satnampura, Phagwara, was formed.
The team moved for search in the area to seize the drug consignment and to apprehend the smugglers.
The police party laid a special naka on Uccha Pind village to Darvesh Pind on Phagwara-Nakodar road and stopped the Mahindra Jumbo near Baba Kulle Shah di Jagah, which was driven by Karam Singh for checking.
“During checking of the truck, the police party found a special partition made inside the truck to hide the poppy husk bags. The partition was so tactfully built with ply board and iron sheets that no one can easily find this space behind it,” said the police officer.
The police party, while frisking, seized 2.5 quintal poppy husk packed in 12 bags from the truck.
A case has been registered against the accused in Police Station Satnampura, Phagwara, under sections 15, 61, and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
“The accused would be taken on the police remand to interrogate him about the entire module and to identify the other members involved in this racket,” said the officer.
The officer added that the arrested accused is indulging in the smuggling trade for last few years. “Earlier, he was arrested with 400 kg poppy husk in 2016 by Amloh police station, and now, he is on bail in that case,” added the officer.