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‘Opium concealed inside chocolate boxes sent to Bengaluru through courier’: Police bust drug racket

74 grams of opium was recovered from inside the chocolate boxes send via DTDC express courier.

3 min readPanchkulaJan 13, 2026 10:38 PM IST

The officials at DTDC Express Courier Company, located the case back in September 10 and alerted the police about a suspicious parcel. (File Photo/Representational)

The Panchkula police’s Crime Branch, Sector 19, has busted a novel drug smuggling racket in which opium was being concealed inside chocolate boxes and sent to Bengaluru through a courier service.

The police arrested the accused identified as Gurnit Singh, and recovered 74 grams of opium from his possession.

ACP (Crime) Arvind Kamboj said the case dates back to September 10, when officials of DTDC Express Courier Company, located in Phase 1 Industrial Area, Panchkula, alerted the police about a suspicious parcel. The consignment had been booked from Sector 44, Chandigarh, for delivery in Bengaluru.

“When the parcel was opened in the presence of police officials, it contained packets of chocolates. On thorough inspection, 74 grams of opium was recovered from inside the chocolate boxes,” ACP Kamboj said. Following the recovery, a case was registered at Sector 20 police station under Section 18 of the NDPS Act and an investigation was initiated.

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Considering the seriousness of the case, police teams tracked the accused. On January 12, the police received information that the suspect, Gurnit Singh, alias Gunnu, a resident of Mohali, had come to Sector 44D, Chandigarh, in connection with the parcel. Acting swiftly, the Crime Branch team laid a trap and arrested him.

DCP (Crime and Traffic) Manpreet Singh Sudan said the accused was produced before a court, which sent him to six days of police remand.

“During remand, the accused will be interrogated thoroughly to identify the main supplier of opium. We will also trace and arrest the person in Bengaluru to whom the contraband was being sent,” the DCP said.

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Panchkula Police Commissioner (ADGP) Shibash Kabiraj said, “Drug smugglers are like termites eating away at society and destroying the future of our youth. No matter how modern or clever their methods may be, Panchkula police’s vigilance and technical investigation will ensure they are caught. Our goal is not just to seize drugs but to uproot the entire smuggling network,” he said.

Police said further investigation is underway to expose the complete chain involved in the smuggling operation and more arrests are likely in the coming days.

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