Nine smugglers nabbed in raids

The Ludhiana police led by the Commissioner of Police (CP) Swapan Sharma carried out early morning raids at houses of smugglers and nabbed nine of them. The police also recovered a huge quantity of drugs from the suspects. Over 100 police personnel were part of the operation.

CP Swapan Sharma, DCP Harpal Singh, ADCPs Amandeep Singh Brar and Sameer Verma and ACP Rajesh Sharma, who led the operation against drugs, addressed a press conference in this regard on Tuesday.

The CP said four of the arrested suspects were identified as Sahil of New Ashok Nagar, from whom 40 gm of heroin was seized, Sanjeev Kumar, alias Sonu, of Haibowal Kalan (120-gm heroin), Raju of New Shivpuri (155 gm of ganja) and Mehakpreet, alias Vicky Bath, of Bajigar Der, who was possessing 50 gm of heroin. While proceedings were initiated against the five other smugglers.

He said all nine suspects had a criminal history as over 50 drug smuggling cases were registered against them in the past. After coming out on bail, they again start the illegal trade.

“It was a kind of another surgical strike on the smugglers. The police had been keeping a tab over activities of the smugglers. They conducted surprise raids on Tuesday around 4.30 am at their houses and all were nabbed from their residences only. The Ludhiana police would continue such strikes on the smugglers in coming days also,” Sharma said.

Earlier on April 27, the CP had also led a special operation, which he had then also termed as a ‘surgical strike’, and raided places of 25 drug peddlers in Haibowal and Jawahar Camp. Six smugglers were arrested in the operation and drugs were seized from the houses by the police. The Police Commissionerate had already prepared a list of hundreds of drug peddlers who were out on bail and suspected to be involved in the drug trade. They may face similar action anytime soon.

Ludhiana