Drug kingpin held with 2.1kg opium

JAIPUR: In its drive against drug abuse, a kingpin of a gang, who used to smuggle opium from Madhya Pradesh to various districts across Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana, was arrested in Bikaner, police said on Monday.

The police had recovered 2.1 kg of opium worth around Rs 4 lakh, besides a car, from the accused, identified as Sarvjeet Singh alias Kala Singh.

According to police, more than two dozen cases of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Subs t ances Act are r egist ered against Singh in various police stations of the state and he was absconding for the last eight months.

Inspector general, Bikaner range, BL Meena said, “Accused Singh is kingpin of an inter-state gang i nvolved i n s upply of opium and its by-products. The police was behind him for the last few months.”

Acting on a tip, police checked a car on Sunday eveni ng at Charakda vi l l age on NH-89, from which Singh and his aide Ramniwas Bishnoi were arrested. “Singh is most wanted criminal of Sri Ganganagar district and a bounty of Rs 5,000 is declared by police on his head. Bishnoi had given shelter to Singh. He was hiding in his (Bishnoi’s) home for the last six months,” said a police officer who didn’t want to be named.

Explaining the modus operandi of the gang, the police offic e r s ai d Si ngh used t o buy opium and poppy husk from Mandsaur district of Madhya Pradesh and Chittorgarh and Pratapgarh districts of Rajasthan, then sell it across various districts of the state and Punjab and Haryana. “We are yet to identify the people who supply drugs t o Si ngh a nd o t hers i nvolved i n si milar t ype of crime.”

The police officer said, “The s mugglers buy drugs f r om Mandsaur at Rs 50,000 to Rs 70,000 per kilogram and sell it at Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2lakh per kg to locals. Further, the local buyers mix opium with crushed particles of sweet biscuits or other powdery thing to increase its quantity and make packets of 10 grams. After which the local buyers sell it between Rs 1500 and Rs 2 0 0 0 and e arn huge profit.”

The police are also trying to f i nd out l i nk of Si ngh with Govind Sharan, native of Barani village of Nagaur district who was arrested by Jawahar Nagar police of Sri Ganganagar district on February17. Sharan had supplied 8.15kg opium from Mandsaur to five persons in Sri Ganganaagar.