Punjab: Notorious drug smuggler arrested with 90 kg opium

Punjab: In a major breakthrough against drug smuggling, CIA Staff Jalandhar Rural Police has arrested a notorious smuggler and recovered 90 kg of poppy husk from him. The accused was apprehended along with a car during a special operation in Kartarpur area. The accused has been identified as Lovepreet Singh alias Love son of Gurcharan Singh, resident of Sech village under Sultanpur Lodhi police station in Kapurthala district. Senior Superintendent of Police Jalandhar Rural Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh said that a special operation was launched on Thursday following credible intelligence received by Inspector Pushp Bali, in-charge of CIA Staff Jalandhar Rural. The operation was monitored by SP Investigation Jasroop Kaur Bath (IPS) and DSP Investigation Sarwanjit Singh.

The police team intercepted the accused near Gurdwara Bunga Sahib, Dayalpur, where several plastic bags filled with poppy husk were recovered from him. The SSP said that the contraband seized included four bags of 20 kg and one bag of 10 kg, containing a total of 90 kg of poppy husk. A white SUV without registration plate has also been seized from the possession of the accused. The accused has a criminal history and cases are registered against him in various police stations. These include a case under the NDPS Act at Sadar police station in Kapurthala in August 2019, robbery cases at Jagraon police station in December 2019 and March 2020 and recently drug-related cases at Kharar and ANTF Sector-79 police stations in 2024. A fresh case has been registered at Kartarpur police station on Thursday under sections 15C, 61 and 85 of the NDPS Act. The accused, who was released on bail from Nabha jail in November 2024, has been remanded to police custody for further investigation. SSP Khakh said, “We are investigating the source of the contraband and its intended recipients. The property details of the accused are being examined for appropriate legal action.”