Ludhiana gym owner, aide held with 5.3kg heroin
Kingpin yet to be arrested; police say accused were in drug business for 6 years
LUDHIANA : The Special Task Force (STF) busted a drug supply chain with the arrest of a gym owner and his accomplice on late Thursday night. They were allegedly operating from a gym and food supplements’ shop in the city.
The STF has recovered 5.3kg heroin, Rs 2.10 lakh drug money, a Mahindra Bolero jeep and a motorcycle from their possession. According to STF officials, the recovered heroin costs Rs 26.5 crore in the international market.
Those arrested have been identified as Jagjit Singh alias Eedu, 30, of Sunet village who owns the gym, and Harminder Singh alias Pannu, 30, of Aman Nagar of Salem Tabri. The kingpin has been identified as Mandeep Singh alias Pistoli of Salem Tabri, who owns the food supplement shop. He is yet to be arrested.
STF Ludhiana in-charge, inspector Harbans Singh said that on Thursday night, the team nabbed Jagjit from Bhai Randhir Singh Nagar when he, along with Harminder, was going to supply the consignment on a motorcycle. The team initially recovered 800gm heroin from the duo’s possession but later found 4.5 kg heroin hidden in a Mahindra Bolero jeep and Rs 2.5 lakh at Jagjit’s house.
“During questioning, the accused told STF that they, along with Mandeep Singh Pistoli, have been smuggling drugs for the past six years and operate from a food supplements’ shop and gym,” he added. The inspector further revealed that Mandeep already has six criminal cases against him. Jagit, who is said to be the great grandson of freedom fighter Gadri Baba Bhan Singh of Sunet village, also faces a case of assault.
A case under Sections 21, 29, 61 and 85 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been registered against the accused at STF, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali). The court on Friday remanded the accused four-day STF custody.