Drugs smuggling remained unabated during Assembly polls in Punjab
Darpan News Desk IANS, 22 Feb, 2022 01:41 PM
New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) Huge quantity of drugs continued to be smuggled in Punjab during the Assembly polls in the state, Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) data suggest.
The NCB was keeping a close vigil on the drug smuggling cases in all the election-bound states, during which as many as 14 cases related to the seizure of drugs were reported from Punjab, which went to the polls in a single phase on February 20.
The agency constituted special teams to keep a check on drug smuggling during the Assembly elections in five states.
An NCB source said that the state police and other agencies also participated in the special operations being launched by the NCB.
"We recovered 105 kg heroin worth Rs 315 crore from Punjab. Apart from this, we seized 1,510 kg ganja and 1,870 kg hashish. One was held in a case pertaining to the seizure of hashish and ganja, while several others are still on the run," said the source.
Most of the drugs "might have" been smuggled in from across the border, which is a matter of grave concern, the source added.
In Uttar Pradesh, where elections are still underway, the NCB has lodged 10 cases and arreated 17 persons. Elevan persons involved in drugs smuggling are still at large in the state.
In Uttrakhand, only one case was lodged and four were held for supplying herion.
The Sanyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella organisation of the farmers' unions, said that their protests would continue till their demands, including guarantee for minimum support price and dismissal of Union Minister Ajay Misra Teni, were met.
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday said the farmers' agitation against three farm laws will be always remembered as a 'watershed movement' to protect the democratic and human rights in the country.
The accused travelled from the Bandaranaike International Airport located in the outskirts of Colombo onboard SriLankan Airlines Flight UL 171 along with 140 other passengers. They had concealed the liquid gold in their rectum and was supposed to be given to handlers in Bengaluru.
Auto-rickshaw drivers in Punjab's industrial town Ludhiana on Monday received an unusual guest in the form of Chief Minister Charanjit Channi, who halted unscheduled on his way to the grain market to listen to their problems.
The Indian Prime Minister has always put the nation's unity and integrity above all other considerations, and perhaps therefore chose not to give any handle to vested interests, particularly Pakistan sponsored and funded elements, to create divisions and instability in Indian society, and especially among Sikhs.
Addressing a public gathering here, Channi categorically said people are being unnecessarily harassed by the cable mafia by levying hefty charges which would not be tolerated anymore in future.
