Kurukshetra police seizes 2.11 kg opium in Ladwa; one arrested

KURUKSHETRA: Tightening the noose on drug trafficking, the district police have arrested a man and recovered 2.11 kilograms (kg) of opium from his possession. Acting on the directions of Kurukshetra SP Nitish Aggarwal, the team of crime investigation agency (CIA) Ladwa of the district police, apprehended the accused identified as Sukhdev Singh, a resident of Chhiniwal village in Barnala district of Punjab. The accused was produced before the court on Friday, which granted his six-day police remand for further investigation into the forward and backward linkages, said the police.According to the police spokesperson, on January 15, a CIA Ladwa team led by PSI Jasbir Singh and comprising ASI Mahabir Singh, head constables Mahesh Kumar, Pawan Kumar, Sanjeev Kumar, SPO Surender Kumar, and home guard Praveen was present near NH-152 close to village Usmanpur. During the operation, the team received a tip-off that Sukhdev Singh, who works as a canter driver, frequently travels to Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and brings back opium purchased at cheaper rates while returning to Punjab in canter bearing registration number PB 13BS 9352.Acting swiftly on the information, the police set up a checkpoint near Gumthala Garhu Chowki and initiated surveillance. After some time, the suspected canter was spotted approaching on NH-152. The police intercepted the vehicle and questioned the driver, who disclosed his identity as Sukhdev Singh.Following legal procedure, the canter was searched in the presence of a gazetted officer, during which 2.11 kg of opium was recovered from the accused’s possession. A case under the NDPS Act was registered against him at Pehowa Sadar police station, and he was arrested.