From top wrestler to drug lord

Jagdish Singh Bhola was a DSP in Punjab Police when his Mohali house was raided; the police team recovered heroin from the house and he was arrested 9 months later

Arjuna awardee wrestler Jagdish Bhola, a dismissed Punjab Police DSP, was arrested on November 11, 2013, for spearheading a ₹700-crore synthetic drug manufacturing-cum-smuggling racket across continents.

Besides the Arjuna Award, Bhola had Bharat Kesri and Rustam-e-Hind titles under his belt and was recruited as DSP in the police from the sports quota. He was dismissed from service.

Named as the mastermind, Bhola was overseeing the entire operations — from manufacturing to supply to Europe and North America. He had even roped in some Chinese and Vietnamese nationals for manufacturing drugs and 50 NRI couriers for supply.

Bhola was on the run since March 3, 2013, when his Mohali house was raided and was arrested in November. Seven FIRs were registered against him and as many as 20 of his aides arrested.

The police found 35 passports and a US-made visa-punching machine during search of his hideout in East Patel