PUNJAB POLICE MAKE MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH IN CAMPAIGN AGAINST DRUGS WITH ARREST OF 3 POPPY HUSK SMUGGLERS, INCLUDING `BIG FISH’ ZEERA

Chandigarh, June 7, 2018: In two major crackdowns, the Punjab Police have arrested three Poppy Husk smugglers, including an A category smuggler, giving a major boost to the Captain Amarinder Singh led government’s campaign against drugs.

Jagir Singh alias Zeera, hailing from the notorious Daulewal village in Moga, was nabbed by the Special Operations Teams (SOT) of Jalandhar Counter-Intelligence Wing and Jalandhar Police Commissionerate. A proclaimed offender in about a dozen drug cases, Zeera was a `big fish’ who had been managing to evade the Police dragnet for the last 14 years.

Two big trucks fully loaded with Poppy husk were intercepted by two different teams of SOT in the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday, said a police spokesperson, adding that with these seizures, a dangerous chain of drug smuggling, flowing freely from MP and Rajasthan, had been smashed completely.

The spokesperson said HPS Khakh, AIG CI Jalandhar, had been chasing Zeera for quite some time.
The smuggler was finally arrested by SOT when they intercepted a Rajasthan number truck (RJ07G4392) near Wadala Chowk, Jalandhar, and recovered 55 bags of Poppy husk (each bag contained 40 kg poppy husk) from him. The bags had been cleverly concealed under 200 bags of powder, which is used in the manufacture of rubber slippers (chappals). Since the powder has a pungent smell, it was used to conceal the Poppy Husk.

A case FIR no. 95 dated 07/06/2018 u/s 15/61/85 NDPS Act 25/54/59 Arms has been registered against Zeera at PS Bhargo Camp, Jalandhar Commissionerate.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that Zeera hails from the notorious ‘Daulewal’ village in Moga district, which is known for drug smuggling. Zeera was wanted by police of different districts in more than 10 cases of NDPS Act.

The search of Zeera’s house led to the recovery of one illegal Pistol and cartridges. During interrogation, Zeera disclosed that he had acquired many properties with the drug money including two shops and a house in Jalandhar and another house in Ludhiana. Proceedings will be initiated soon against ‘Zeera’ to attach all his properties acquired from drug business.

In 2004, Rajasthan Police had arrested him in a Poppy Husk smuggling case but he managed to escape from police custody while he was being taken to court. Since then he had been engaged in the smuggling of Poppy Husk in heavy quantities from MP and Rajasthan to Punjab, but had never been arrested by any police till date.

Meanwhile, in the other case, joint teams of Counter Intelligence Wing Jalandhar and Jalandhar Police Commissionerate intercepted a truck (number PB-10-B-3377) near ‘Y’ point CT public institute, which was fully loaded with Poppy Husk, and arrested two persons. Gurdeep Singh s/o Jagdev Singh r/o village Bhamipura, Jagraon, Ludhiana (aged 28 yrs), was the owner and driver of the truck, while Jaswant Singh s/o Kishan Singh r/o village Arauwal, Jagraon, Ludhiana (aged 40 yrs) was the driver.

Both the men were working for Rajinder Kumar s/o Kewal Krishan r/o Bhamipura, Jagraon who is yet to be arrested.

A case FIR no. dated 07/06/2018, u/s 15/61/85 NDPS Act has been registered against him in PS Sadar Jalandhar Police Commissionerate. Further investigations are in progress and efforts are being made to unravel the entire network of smugglers and drug peddlers.