22kg heroin bound for Punjab seized in J&K’s Kathua

Three arrested in J&K’s Kathua, were to supply contraband in Jalandhar

JAMMU: Acting on a tip-off, the Jammu Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Tuesday seized 22kg of heroin that was bound for Punjab from three smugglers.

Cops set up a naka at Pali Morh in Kathua district and stopped a car carrying the contraband. “The heroin was hidden in a cavity in the car that was on its way from Handwara in north Kashmir to Jalandhar,” said NCB zonal director Virender Yadav.

“All three occupants, Bashir Ahmed, Wasim Mohammed and Feroz Ahmed, have been arrested,” he added.

The consignment recovered from them was to be delivered to a man in Jalandhar, who has also been arrested with Rs 17.5 lakh.

JAMMU : The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) recovered 22kg of heroin from three smugglers in Kathua district and arrested four people in this connection on Tuesday.

Bashir Ahmed, Wasim Mohammed and Feroz Ahmed, all residents of Handwara in Kashmir, have been arrested with the contraband. The consignment recovered from them was to be delivered to the fourth accused in Jalandhar, said NCB zonal director Virender Yadav.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of NCB laid a checkpoint at Pali Morh and intercepted a car in which the three smugglers were travelling from Handwara in north Kashmir to Jalandhar.

The contraband was hidden in a cavity in the car. “We arrested all three smugglers and recovered 22.145kg heroin from them,” Yadav said.

“NCB took all the three accused in transit remand and met the receiver of the consignment Paramjeet Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran, in Jalandhar. We arrested Paramjeet and recovered ₹17.50 lakh from him and seized his vehicle,” he added.

A case under NDPS Act has been registered against the accused.

NCB director said, “We cannot rule out that the money generated from sale of drugs is utilised for funding terror.”

He said: “To date, I have no evidence to prove its link (seizure of contraband) to terror funding. The investigation is on in other cases and we will also probe the terror funding angle.”

2 HELD WITH 3KG CONTRABAND

NEW DELHI: Two suspected members of an international drug cartel, including an Ivory Coast national, have been arrested in Delhi and heroin worth, police said on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off, a 26-yearold Sidharth of Punjab was nabbed in Janakpuri and three kg of heroin was recovered from him, said PS Kushwah, deputy commissioner of police (special cell).

Sidharth revealed he had received the consignment from an African-origin person, Roland Diby, 32. Diby was arrested from Mahavir Enclave on Saturday after raids were conducted in various parts of Uttam Nagar area and around 515 grams of heroin seized, Kushwah said.

During interrogation, Diby said he had come to India last October on a tourist visa, which was valid for six months. But he did not return even after the expiry of his visa and was lured into the trade by a Nigerian national residing in the same area, the DCP said.

The Ivory Coast national used to receive consignments of heroin from his Afghanistanbased Nigerian associates.

He also sends it to countries like Canada, South Africa, England, France through courier companies, the officer said.

The accused said many Afghanistan-based Nigerians send consignments of heroin through Afghan nationals, who bring heroin in India in their stomach by swallowing heroinfilled capsules, he added.

NCB ALSO RECOVERED ₹17.5 LAKH FROM TARN TARAN MAN; TERROR FUNDING ANGLE BEING PROBED