JALANDHAR
In a crackdown on drug trafficking, Jalandhar Rural Police have dismantled an interstate poppy husk smuggling racket operating between Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. Acting on specific intelligence, a team from Phillaur Police Station intercepted a truck carrying 01 quintal and 44 kilograms of crushed poppy husk concealed beneath sacks of onions and garlic during a naka operation near Lasara village.
The arrested smugglers have been identified as Buta Singh and Kulwant Singh, both residents of Sant Nagar, Phillaur. The truck used for transporting the contraband, bearing registration number PB-08-BR-9311, has been impounded.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh stated that the operation was conducted under the leadership of r Sanjeev Kapoor, SHO Phillaur, and supervised by DSP Phillaur Sarwan Singh Ball, PPS, and SP Investigation Jasroop Kaur Bath,
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the arrested individuals were part of a well-organized drug syndicate transporting poppy husk from Madhya Pradesh to Punjab for distribution.
The police have also identified two key accomplices in the racket—Bir Singh alias Ghona and Surjit Singh alias Jita—who are currently absconding. These individuals are believed to have played critical roles in coordinating the logistics and operations of the smuggling network. Raids are underway to apprehend them and gather further evidence on the syndicate.
Both arrested accused have prior criminal records. Buta Singh has been involved in theft cases, while Kulwant Singh has multiple NDPS Act cases against him. Investigators suspect that this racket has been operational for several years, smuggling poppy husk into Punjab and selling it at exorbitant rates in villages and towns across the state.
SSP Khakh described the seizure as a major blow to the interstate drug trade.
a case under sections 15/ 61/ 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused at Phillaur police station.