Punjab, J&K Police jointly seize Rs 1.64 cr drug money
Darpan News Desk IANS, 08 Sep, 2021 11:47 AM
Chandigarh, Sep 8 (IANS) Following leads provided by the Punjab Police, its counterparts in Jammu and Kashmir in a joint search operation with the Indian Army have seized two bags carrying Rs 1.64 crore drug money from Rajouri district, officials said on Wednesday.
The drug money is allegedly linked with the seizure of 17 kg heroin, which was recovered by the police in Amritsar (Rural) on August 26 after arresting Ranjit Singh, alias Sonu.
Sonu was using two specially designed and fabricated compartments fitted underneath his Toyota Innova cab to smuggle the consignment.
Sharing details, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said during interrogation Sonu said he picked the consignment from Nowshera area of Jammu and Kashmir from drug suppliers -- Sikander Hayyat, Mansur Hussain and Zaffar Hussain.
"Following inputs of Sonu, a police team from Punjab was sent to Nowshera and with the support of Jammu and Kashmir Police, the teams had managed to arrest Sikandar and Zaffar on August 29, while Manzur could not be arrested as of now," said the DGP.
Later, on the disclosures of Sikandar and Zafar, the police from Punjab recovered Rs 29.5 lakh drug money from their home at Nowshera, he said, adding that on the revelations of Sikander and Zaffar the police on September 4 recovered four kg more heroin concealed in the Innova car.
Gupta said during further interrogation the duo revealed about the drug money concealed by a third accomplice Manzur Hussain on his premises.
"Acting on the inputs provided, the J&K Police along with Indian Army launched a search operation and recovered the cash of Rs 1,64,70,600 from two bags. However, efforts are on to nab Manzur Hussain," he added.
Sonu, during his initial interrogation, exposed the jail-link, revealing that he had picked this consignment on the instructions of Ranjit Singh, who is currently lodged in Faridkot jail, and Malkeet Singh, lodged in Muktsar Sahib jail.
At several places including outside the Delhi borders, the farmers burnt effigies of the Central government, hoisted black flags on their homes, farms or vehicles to condemn the farm laws and demanding their rollback as over 470 farmers' lives have been lost in the past six months.
Doctors suspect that the sudden surge in mucormycosis, or “black fungus” infection, may be linked to the use of steroids to treat COVID-19. It can result in breathing problems and coughing blood.
India broke its own previous record of Covid deaths in 24 hours after the the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday said the nation recorded 4,529 deaths -- the highest number of fatalities from Covid infection.
Cyclone Tauktae has claimed the lives of at least 12 people and close to 200,000 have been evacuated. The impact of the cyclone so intense that it has uprooted trees and electricity poles.
According to Swaminathan, B.1.617 variant of Covid-19, which was first detected in India last Fall, was a contributing factor in the COVID explosion that India is witnessing right now.
