CHANDIGARH: Registering yet another major success in curbing drug smuggling in the state of Punjab, Punjab Punjab Police’s Anti-Narcotic Task Force (ANTF) has successfully executed the orders of preventive detention of another top drug smuggler identified as Gurdeep Singh alias Raano Sarpanch, a resident of village Raano in Ludhiana using special provisions under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotics Drugs Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) act, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.
This is the second such case of preventive detention in which orders have been issued by the competent authority under section 3 PIT-NDPS Act. The section 3 of the PIT-NDPS act empowers the government to take such drug smugglers into preventive custody to prevent them from engaging in illicit traffic of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Notably, a month back, Punjab Police had executed the orders of preventive detention of a notorious drug smuggler identified as Avtar Singh alias Tari of border village Shahur Kalan in Gurdaspur district for two years using special provisions under PIT-NDPS act.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that during investigation, it was found that Gurdeep Singh alias Raano Sarpanch had link with international smugglers identified as Harminder Singh alias Rommy Randhawa, Rajan Sharma, Tanvir Bedi and Baljit Singh alias Babbu Khera. Accused Gurdeep Singh’s assets worth ₹7.80 crore, acquired through illicit means, have been frozen by the competent authority, he added.
He said that accused Gurdeep Singh is a repeat offender with seven cases registered under the NDPS Act. He is involved in trans-border drug smuggling networks with Pakistani smugglers.
As per the information, STF Ludhiana Range had registered a case against accused Gurdeep Singh and other co-accused under NDPS Act in October 2020 and recovered 31 Kg 418 gm Heroin, 6 Kg Amphetamine, 2 Kg Chemical Powder and five luxury cars/vehicles. Apart from this, another case was registered against him in November 2020, when there was a recovery of 5.7 kg Heroin, 400 gm opium, three pistols, one revolver, two rifles, 12 luxury cars, Rs 50.24 lakh drug money.
The DGP said that accused Gurdeep Singh has been detained under PIT-NDPS Act for one year and has been transferred from Central Jail, Kapurthala to Central Jail, Bathinda for strict monitoring.
Meanwhile, Punjab Police will made more Preventive Detentions in the coming days to give a crushing blow to the drug traffickers who are involved in the drug smuggling.