Opium racket busted; 1 held

DERA BASSI, JUNE 6: As part of an on-going operation against drug pedlling, the local police have busted a racket of opium smugglers by arresting a man of the gang near here late last evening and recovered 2.5 kg opium worth Rs 65,000 from his possession.

Following a tip off, a police team led by SHO Jassa Singh laid a naka near Dera Bassi, on the Chandigarh-Ambala highway and nabbed Surjit Singh, a resident of Badshahpur in Patiala. This is the second arrest during the last 48 hours. Earlier, the police had arrested two persons carrying 1 kg opium. A case under Section 18 of NDPS Act has been registered with the Dera Bassi police.