After Punjab Police tip-off, ATS Gujarat seizes 75 kg heroin
Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 12 Jul, 2022 10:37 AM
Chandigarh, July 12 (IANS) Following specific intelligence inputs regarding the smuggling of heroin from the UAE to Punjab, the Punjab Police in a joint operation with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and central agencies recovered 75 kg heroin from a container at the Mundra Port in Gujarat, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said here on Tuesday.
The contraband was concealed in a container of unstitched clothes using a cardboard pipe which was further camouflaged by an oversized plastic pipe.
The container, which was loaded from the Jebel Ali port in the UAE, was booked by an importer from Malerkotla in Punjab.
The DGP said that as the link of the container has been established with Punjab, the consignment seems to be routed to some other place via Punjab.
"The Punjab part is being explored and investigated," he added.
The recovery comes as a major success amid the ongoing war against drugs launched on the direction of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The DGP said following inputs, Punjab Police's State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) of S.A.S. Nagar had sent teams to Gujarat who were deputed at the Mundra Port.
"In coordination with the central agencies and ATS Gujarat, searches were conducted at the Mundra Port with the help of Customs," he said, adding that after following due procedure and documentation, the container was opened, leading to the recovery of a big haul of 75 kg heroin.
Following the NDPS Act guidelines, the consignment was opened in the presence of Customs officials and the local magistrate.
To ascertain backward and forward linkages, some suspected persons from Malerkotla and Ludhiana found to be linked with this import of consignment have been called for questioning by the district police.
Furnishing details, Additional DCP-I (Dwaka), Vikram Singh, said that a call about the robbery incident was received at 6 a.m. Tuesday, in which the caller claimed that four women had robbed him of Rs 2,000 near the Ganda Nala area.
"The office of the Commissioner for NRI Affairs Goa is already in touch with the Consulate General of India, Houston, USA for seeking their assistance for bringing the mortal remains of late John Dias to Goa, so that his family can have the funeral in Goa," he added.
He asked farmers to "fight" to cancel the bail given to Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni's son, Ashish Mishra, who was accused of mowing down four farmers and a journalist with his convoy during the violence.
Of the 15 most polluted cities in Central and South Asia in 2021, 12 were in India. New Delhi saw a 14.6 per cent increase in PM2.5 concentration in 2021, 96.4 Ig/m3, up from 84 Ig/m3 in 2020.
According to officials, the gang has been operating for the past several years and has duped nearly 700 girls across the country, including in Madhya Pradesh and New Delhi.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday announced the services of 35,000 group 'C' and 'D' contractual and outsourcing employees in government departments would be regularised.
