Latest news with #NDPSAct
Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
Truck carrying 160kg poppy husk seized near Gurgaon's Subhash Chowk
Gurgaon: A truck bearing the number NL-01-AB-6557, carrying 160kg of poppy husk, was seized near Subhash Chowk. Two men were arrested while allegedly transporting the contraband from Rajasthan's Udaipur to Delhi. The accused were identified as Mohammad Munfed (29) of Palwal and Jahid (30) of Nuh, who had allegedly received Rs 40,000 for the delivery. They had previously received Rs 30,000 for a former delivery on the same route. Assistant sub inspector Sandeep Kumar said that sub-inspector Mohit Maan, in-charge of Sector 39 crime branch received a tip-off, following which police acted swiftly and intercepted the truck. You Can Also Check: Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon Upon stopping, the accused said that they were transporting crushed glass. However, after police removed the tarpaulin from the truck, they discovered 13 white sacks containing poppy husk valued at Rs 11 lakh. "As they had an obnoxious smell, when asked, both the accused failed to provide a satisfactory answer, following which the sacks were examined and ultimately taken into custody," a police officer said. The accused were booked under the NDPS Act and were presented before a local court on Monday, that remanded them to four days' police custody. Further investigation in uncovering the drug trade is underway.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Punjab DSP moves high court, says govt ‘deliberately stalling' probe into 300 drug FIRs
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought the response of the Punjab government on allegations by a serving police officer that over 300 FIRs under the NDPS Act involving a psychotropic drug had been deliberately stalled at the 'carrier level'. The division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry, however, also warned the petitioner that the public interest litigation (PIL) would be dismissed with costs if found to be frivolous. The petitioner, DSP Vavinder Kumar of the 9th PAP Battalion and a former officer with the Special Task Force (STF), has alleged that the synthetic drug 'AlpraSafe,' containing Alprazolam, is 'circulating in humongous volumes all over Punjab.' Kumar, who was booked by the Anti-Narcotic Task Force in a corruption case last year, told the court that investigations in hundreds of such cases 'have never gone beyond arresting carriers.' He claimed that while over 300 FIRs were registered in 2023 alone, 'no one has dared to pursue the trail up to the manufacturers,' despite repeated court directions to do so. Kumar said that during his tenure with the STF, he had registered an FIR (No. 31 dated February 20, 2024), at STF Police Station, SAS Nagar, in which narcotics worth Rs 275 crore and 765 kg of powder were recovered from pharmaceutical factories and godowns. He alleged the probe exposed the involvement of major pharmaceutical companies in a large-scale, organised drug manufacturing and trafficking racket. The petition further claimed that information collected from district SSPs confirmed that over 300 FIRs involving AlpraSafe were registered in 2023, yet 'in none of these cases had investigations gone beyond seizure and arrest of carriers.' Kumar cited FIR No. 23 dated January 22, 2023, registered at Sadar Amritsar City, alleging that a Rs 3 crore bribe was paid by a pharma company to a senior officer to derail the probe. In FIR 31 of 2024, he claimed, Rs 45 lakh was paid to shield owners of implicated firms. Kumar alleged he was pressured by senior officers to drop these leads and, when he refused, was transferred out of the STF and later booked in what he termed a 'false' Prevention of Corruption Act case. He has claimed that key records, including his statewide correspondence, remain in police custody and 'may have been tampered with.' Last September, Punjab Police registered a corruption FIR against him, alleging he took Rs 45 lakh from a pharmaceutical firm 'to protect it from legal consequences.' In October 2024, Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj of the high court directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary probe into his allegations and restrained the STF from further investigating the corruption FIR against him. Opposing the plea, Senior Advocate Salil Sabhlok, for the State, argued that the petition 'is a misuse of PIL to circumvent ongoing investigations.' 'He mentions 300 FIRs but none are detailed. This is in reality a personal interest litigation,' said Sabhlok. 'This is a misuse of PIL to circumvent ongoing investigations. He seeks a court-monitored probe while being himself an investigating officer in at least one case,' Sabhlok argued, citing Supreme Court rulings warning against PILs 'styled as public interest but in reality camouflage to foster personal disputes.' He pointed out that the officer himself is an accused in a corruption case involving pharma companies. Sabhlok pointed out that a CBI inquiry into FIR 31 is already pending before a single judge, and is listed for August 8.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Parcel from Thailand found with cannabis concealed among food items
Ahmedabad: The customs department has filed an FIR against Ravi Patel, a resident of the Chandlodia area, for allegedly smuggling ganja (cannabis) from Thailand. The matter came to light after customs officials discovered the narcotics concealed among chocolates and snacks in a parcel sent from the Southeast Asian country. The foreign parcel, addressed to Patel, was intercepted by customs officials at the Foreign Post Office (FPO) in Ahmedabad during routine scanning. "The pouches inside the parcel contained a leaf-like product with a strong smell, which was suspected to be ganja based on appearance and odour," stated the complaint filed with the city crime branch. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad According to the FIR filed by customs superintendent Nafisa Mansuri, officers found 11 black pouches hidden among regular food items inside the package. "Upon opening, all pouches were found to contain a homogeneous leafy substance. The seized material was sealed and sent for forensic testing, which confirmed it as ganja on July 2," the complaint noted. Following forensic confirmation, the case was formally handed over to the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) for further investigation under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Officials suspect the consignment was intended to bypass scrutiny by posing as a regular food shipment. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 most beautiful women in the world Undo Investigators are now tracing the origin of the parcel, the payment trail, and any possible links to a local or international drug network. While Patel has been booked under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act, he has not yet been arrested. The DCB is currently probing whether the incident is part of a larger racket using international postal services to smuggle drugs into the country.
Hans India
4 hours ago
- Health
- Hans India
India's drug war escalates, seizures cross 20 lakh kg in 2022, youth addiction alarms authorities
New Delhi: India's escalating drug crisis has sparked alarm across enforcement agencies, with over 20.8 lakh kilograms of narcotics seized in 2022 alone - as compared to 11.37 lakh kilograms in 2021. The sharp spike reflects not just growing trafficking networks, but also a significant rise in drug use, especially among the youth. According to data tabled in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Tuesday, the total drug seizures in 2018, 2019 and 2020 were 39.19 lakh kgs, 11.11 lakh kgs and 13.16 lakh kgs, respectively. The number of registered drug cases also soared - from 63,137 in 2018 to a record 1,15,236 in 2022, marking an 84 per cent increase in five years. Among states, Uttar Pradesh led the tally in 2022 with a staggering 10.5 lakh kg of drug seizures, followed by Andhra Pradesh (1.69 lakh kg), Odisha (1.44 lakh kg), and Rajasthan (1.55 lakh kg). In terms of growth in enforcement, Kerala saw the sharpest spike in cases - from 8,724 in 2018 to 26,619 in 2022, a 205 per cent surge. Similarly, Karnataka recorded a sixfold increase, from just 1,030 to nearly 6,399 cases in the same period. But the most disturbing trend is the age breakdown of drug users. A national survey conducted by AIIMS and the Ministry of Social Justice in 2019 revealed that 40 lakh children (10-17 years) were already using opioids, while 20 lakh used cannabis. Among adults (18-75 years), an estimated 2.9 crore were cannabis users, and 1.9 crore consumed opioids. Sedative, cocaine, and ATS use was also reported in both age brackets. To combat this, the government has launched a multi-pronged approach. The Narcotics Control Bureau has registered 116 major international cases since 2020 to 2025 (up to May), seizing over 1.09 lakh kg of narcotics and targeting financial networks through the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act), 1988. Meanwhile, the 'Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan' has reached over 16.49 crore citizens, including 5.51 crore youth, aiming to shift the narrative from addiction to rehabilitation and awareness.
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Time of India
Pavittar Singh, alias 'Chaura,' arrested by FBI, Punjab cops eye his return
CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police is learnt to be in the process of renewing efforts to bring back absconding fugitive Pavittar Singh alias 'Chaura' - one of eight Indian-origin suspects arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US on July 11 as part of its 'Summer Heat' crackdown on gang violence. A Punjab Police officer, who did not wish to come on record, said they were in the process of asking central agencies to bring back the fugitive. It is, however, not yet clear whether the fugitive would be extradited or deported, added the officer. "It is not clear if Pavittar had been living illegally in the US or had a legal status. If he has been living illegally, there is a possibility of his deportation, which is easier," said the officer. Chaura's status in the US is a mystery as a Punjab Police dossier mentions he had been arrested in the US earlier too, said the officer. In April 2023, Pavittar (30), a resident of Chaura village in Gurdaspur district, was arrested along with an associate in connection with a Dec 2022 shooting in Woodland, US, according to the dossier. The officer said they believe Chaura got bail in the earlier case. Pavittar, according to the dossier, travelled to Singapore on a student visa on Nov 8, 2016, and then left for the US. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Serbia: New Container Houses (Prices May Surprise You) Container House Search Now Undo "He, most likely, went through illegal means," said the officer. According to the officer, in 2023, Pavittar and his associate Husandeep Singh were arrested on charges of attempted murder and criminal conspiracy, as part of a multi-agency crackdown against violent incidents in the US, in what was called 'Operation Broken Sword'. According to the dossier, between Oct 2013 and Nov 2023, Pavittar was named in 12 FIRs registered at police stations in Punjab - including two for murder, five for attempted murder, and others under the Arms Act and at least one under the NDPS Act. The dossier mentioned him as an accused in a case of cheating and another under the Passport Act and the Prisons Act in an FIR registered in Dec 2022 at state special operation cell (SSOC), Amritsar. Pavittar "has been living in California, USA, for the last few years", reads the dossier. An open-dated warrant of arrest, a lookout circular (LoC), and a red-corner notice had been issued against Pavittar before July 11. The dossier reads: "He is also having links with banned militant groups such as Babbar Khalsa International." Another Punjab Police officer said Pavittar and his gang now faced charges of kidnapping for ransom, torture, and possessing illegal weapons in the US. The crimes carry life sentences. "When abroad, Pavittar continued to operate a criminal network in Punjab through local associates. He is believed to have been involved in extortions, targeted killings, and other illegal activities," the dossier said.
