3 min readChandigarhOct 4, 2023 08:19 AM IST
First published on: Oct 4, 2023 at 08:19 AM IST
Fatehgarh police on Tuesday arrested four people and claimed to have busted a major drugs racket that sourced
contrabands from Uttar Pradesh (UP).
The police on Tuesday said they had recovered at least 9,669 banned vials, 2,30,400 tablets and 5,760 capsules from the four arrested accused. Apart from this, police have also recovered 68,244 banned injections and three vehicles used by the accused.
Fatehgarh Sahib Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr Ravjot Grewal on Tuesday said an FIR under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered at Mulepur police station on August 12 and investigation of this case led to the busting of the inter-state drug racket.
The SSP added that police first arrested one Gaurav Singh alias Kaalas, a resident of Ambala in Haryana. “His nefarious activities encompassed both drug consumption and distribution, spanning across Ambala, Patiala, Mohali, and Fatehgarh Sahib. Following a crucial tip-off, the Punjab Police’s Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) staff successfully arrested Gaurav on August 12 in possession of 44 injections of Leegesic and 44 Avils,” the Grewal said.
Elaborating further, he said that the investigators unveiled a web of drug supply originating from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. This prompted the formation of multiple CIA teams, dispatched to conduct targeted raids in Saharanpur. A thorough investigation was carried out and based on digital data, questioning on tracing the backward linkages meticulous raids was carried out.
According to the SSP, the first raid was conducted on Mohammad Arbaaz, who resided at Defence Colony, Behatroad Saharanpur. Arbaaz ran an illicit Janta clinic in Khatakheri Timber market Saharanpur. The police raid led to the seizure of drugs and the subsequent arrest of Arbaaz.
Grewal added that further investigation revealed the name of another accused Mohammad Salman, who was residing at Gudda Khera in Saharanpur. Salman was an active member of the drug racket and maintained an illegal godown in the Sifhen Chilkana road market area of Saharanpur. He too was apprehended on September 25 with a significant cache of drugs discovered in his illegal storage facility.
“The inquiry into Mohammad Salman revealed that he sourced these drugs from Mohammad Sahbez, a resident of Bijopura locality in Saharanpur,” the SSP added. She said that Sahbez masterminded the racket and had an illegal godown hidden in his village residence.
The CIA team apprehended the third him at his village and exposed the godown, which was concealed behind his house and stashed with drugs.
During this investigation, it was brought to light that accused Mohammad Sahbez operated a medical store named Sahbez Medical Store on Bahet road in Saharanpur. “The legitimacy of the store’s license is currently under scrutiny due to his involvement in an unethical and illegal drug business,” Grewal said.
The SSP stated that police successfully dismantled two illegal godowns and two illegal chemist shops in the Saharanpur area during the investigation of the case.
“The role of manufacturers/ companies associated with these medicines will be subject to thorough investigation and further investigations have led to the apprehension of Rakesh Kumar,” Grewal concluded.
The police on Tuesday said they had recovered at least 9,669 banned vials, 2,30,400 tablets and 5,760 capsules from the four arrested accused. (Express File Image) 
Share
