194KG HEROIN CAME FROM PAK VIA GUJARAT IN 2018
Son of ex-Amritsar bar body chief, he was held in Italy last week by Interpol on Gujarat Police’s lookout notice in connection with drug case
AMRITSAR: The 194kg heroin that was seized from a house in Amritsar on Thursday was smuggled in from Pakistan through Gujarat and received by one Simranjit Singh Sandhu (now in Italy) in 2018, a senior special task force (STF) officer said on condition of anonymity. Sandhu was arrested in Italy last week by the Interpol after a lookout notice was issued by Gujarat Police.
AMRITSAR: The 194kg heroin that was seized from a house in Amritsar on Thursday was smuggled in through Gujarat and received by one Simranjit Singh Sandhu (now in Italy) in 2018, a senior special task force (STF) officer said on condition of anonymity.
Sandhu, who is the son of a former president of Amritsar Bar Association, was arrested in Italy last week by the Interpol after the Gujarat Police issued a lookout notice against him in connection with a drug case.
The STF on Friday claimed to have unearthed a heroin supply racket having overseas connections with the recovery of 194-kg heroin from a house in Sultanwind area here. Seven people, including a 24-year-old woman and an Afghan national, were arrested. Ankush Kapoor, who runs a cloth store here, was said to be the local linchpin of the racket and he worked in tandem with Sandhu.
“Our preliminary investigation suggests that Sandhu had received the drug in 2018 that had reached Gujarat through sea route, apparently from Pakistan. He is the kingpin of the racket that was being run from Amritsar,” the official said. He said Ankush was Sandhu’s main link in the city and they had met at Talwarkar’s Gym on Mall Road in Amritsar.
Police sources said Sandhu’s name in drug trafficking first cropped up in 2018 during the investigations into a 300-kg heroin smuggled from Pakistan through Mandvi coast of Gujarat. Gujarat’s anti-terrorist squad (ATS) seized 5kg heroin from Rafiq Sumra and Abdul Azis Baghad, who told the police that the drug was part of the 300kg consignment and also named Sandhu as their link in Punjab.
Sources said Rafiq Sumra, the owner of a transport company, had transported a portion of the heroin in cumin sacks to Punjab, which was received by Sandhu.
After his name cropped up in the case, Sandhu fled to Australia through Nepal, and then to Italy where he was arrested by the Interpol.
“The role of Sandhu is being investigated thoroughly,” said IGP, STF, Kaustubh Sharma, adding “it cannot be ruled out that the recovery was part of the 300-kg heroin that had reached Gujarat in 2018 from Pakistan”.
A local court on Saturday sent the accused in 10-day police custody. Deputy superintendent of police (DSP), STF, Vawinder Mahajan, said more revelations are likely to come to fore during interrogation of the accused.
ROLE OF COUNCILLOR’S SON UNDER LENS
The role of an Amritsar Congress councillor’s son is also under scanner in connection with the drug seizure, the police said.
The special task force has been probing the role of Sahil Sharma whose father Pardeep Sharma is the Congress councillor from Ward number 52. A senior official of the STF, who didn’t wish to be named, said they have already nominated Sahil in the case. He, however, didn’t disclose his role in the episode.
However inspector general of police, STF-border range, Kaustubh Sharma, said, “His (Sahil’s) role is being investigated. Further action depends on what probe brings out.”
Pardeep Sharma, said, “My son’s name is deliberately being connected with the case for gaining political mileage. But the truth is that we have no role in this.”
Sources residing in Sharma’s ward confirmed that a police team had raided his house on Friday. Pardeep Sharma also runs a hotel in Amritsar.
On Friday, police had arrested a local Akali leader and former member the subordinate selection service board (SSSB), Anwar Masih.