Dev Behl smuggled drugs worth Rs 800 crore: Punjab police
Behl was a big-time trafficker,his consignments to Canada weighed in hundreds of kilograms.
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Investigations into the Delhi-based multi-crore international synthetic drug racket have pegged the international market value of synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals smuggled into Canada through three consignments at Rs 800 crore.
Acting on the disclosures made by arrested Delhi-based drug racket kingpin Dev Behl and his associates Rakesh Tinku and Mohinder – arrested on Thursday – the Punjab Police on Friday recovered 50 kg of precursor chemical pseudoephedrine worth Rs 50 crores in the international market.
Patiala SSP Hardyal Singh Mann said investigations have revealed that Dev Behl – the kingpin of this Delhi-based international drug racket – was a ruthless operator who obtained his raw materials,including precursor chemicals ephedrine and pseudoephedrine from India. He processed them in factories located in Himachal,Delhi and other states and smuggled them to Canada. The primary recipient of the contraband consignments has been identified as one Iqbal Singh alias Pala,based in Toronto,Canada.
“Dev Behl was a big-time trafficker and his consignments to Canada weighed in hundreds of kilograms. For instance,one particular consignment of ICE (M-amphetamine) was of exactly 100 kg,especially manufactured on order. Its worth in the international market was Rs 500 crore,” he added.
“The interrogation of Dev Behl has revealed that he operated in tandem with one Ravi Shankar. They jointly manufactured synthetic drugs in a factory in Baddi. Ravi Shankar decided to shift his operations to North America,sold out his share to Dev Behl,who became sole owner,and started operating in Canada and US,” said Mann.
Ravi Shankar started drug smuggling from Canada to the US on a very large scale. He soon became embroiled in the drug wars that are common in Canada and the US as his quick rise attracted enemies in the drug trade,he added.
According to Behl,Shankar was arrested in the US on charges of murder and subsequently,his involvement in the drug trade was also revealed,said the SSP.
“This Delhi-based racket used all available means for luring international clients. Behl reportedly used women to win over contacts in the Canadian drug underworld,” said Mann,adding that raids were being conducted to arrest those who have figured in Delhi-based racket.
The arrested persons have been produced before the court,which has sent them to three-days police remand till December 9.
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