Panchkula: Police arrest ex-kabaddi player, seizes heroin worth Rs 1.05 cr

Police have registered a case under Section 21C of the NDPS Act at Raipur Rani police station. He has also disclosed key information about his suppliers, and further arrests are likely, they said.

The former athlete also has two prior criminal cases against him in Punjab, including attempted murder and fraud.

Between January and April, 2026, police have registered 37 NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) cases, which include 10 involving commercial quantities and 27 intermediate quantities.

Over the past four months, a total of 58 accused were also arrested — 18 identified as the main suppliers, officials said.

During this period, police also seized contraband — including over 5 kg of heroin, 27 kg of poppy husk, 6.2 kg of ganja, 1.5 kg of charas, 710 grams of opium and more than 40,000 banned tablets — worth around Rs 8.85 crore.

The officials said police have also initiated action against assets allegedly built from drug proceeds. Properties linked to three accused — Amar Singh (Pinjore), Sultan (Panchkula) and Abhishek (from Uttar Pradesh but residing in Panchkula, Sector-14) — were demolished.

Alongside enforcement, police have also expanded outreach efforts, the authorities said.

Between January and March, they conducted 81 awareness programmes, reaching 3,699 people. As part of rehabilitation measures, 361 drug users were put on treatment, while 38 were admitted to de-addiction centres. In a recent exercise, drugs worth approximately Rs 2.02 crore, seized between 2022 and 2024, were destroyed at a hygiene facility in Bagwala.

Police have also urged citizens to share information on drug trafficking through helpline numbers 7087081100, 7087081048, or the Manas helpline 1933, assuring informants’ confidentiality.