Drug in fish racket: Punjab Police arrest two smugglers with 10 quintal poppy husk

The personnel of counter-intelligence wing of the Punjab Police, in coordination with cops of the district rural police, on Monday arrested two drug smugglers with 50 bags (10 quintals) of poppy husk hidden under 192 bags of garlic in a truck at a special naka set upin Shahkot on a tip-off. The truck (PB 10 CG 5193) and a Scorpio car, in which one of them was travelling, with duplicate number were also impounded on the spot. They had bought the banned substance from Madhya Pradesh (MP). 

The accused have been identified as Gurjant Singh, 32, and his younger brother Nachhattar Singh, 30, of Dholewal village in Moga district. Their third gang member Gurpreet Singh of Faridkot is yet to be arrested.

The two alleged smugglers were also allegedly involved in the smuggling of synthetic drugs in dead fish. 

On January 22, the Punjab Police had recovered 1.5-kg heroin packed in capsules inside fish bodies from a Uganda-based woman, Rogget Namotabi, on the Jagraon-Moga highway. A Nigerian smuggler Michael had been running the racket from the Nabha jail since March 2017. 

Investigating officer and AIG Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh said that with finding difficulties in smuggling poppy husk carrying big bags, they had decided to switch to synthetic drug dealing. The accused came in touch with Michael through Raja Singh alias Raju, a smuggler lodged in the Nabha jail. 

“Michael sent 1.5-kg heroin in dead fish to them through his female gang member. But, before accused brothers could receive the fidh consignment, police had nabbed the woman with drugs. They both, however, managed to flee from the spot that time,” Khakh said. 

But after the busting of the Nigerian drug smuggling racket, they both again started smuggling of poppy husk from MP.  Both brothers had been involved in drug smuggling activities for the past several years. They had even attacked a police party, headed by Moga CIA inspector Kikkar Singh, who was chasing them in Moga. They had recently shifted their base to Ludhiana from their native village after being declared proclaimed offenders (POs), police said. 

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that both accused brothers were not much educated and Gurjant had returned from the UK in 2012 after working there for 10 years. He completed his 12th and his brother was Class-9 pass. 

“After his return from the UK, he came in contact with smuggler Gurpreet. The trio had started smuggling drugs from MP to various districts of Punjab,” the SSP said. 

A case under Section 15/25/29-61-85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been registered at the Shahkot police station.