New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday reiterated the government’s resolve to fight the drug menace and congratulated the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Delhi Police for a mega Rs 262 crore seizure of contraband.
“Our government is shattering drug cartels at an unprecedented pace. Fiercely pursuing the top-to-bottom and bottom-to-top approach to the investigation of drugs, a breakthrough was achieved by seizing 328 kg of methamphetamine worth Rs 262 crore in New Delhi and arresting two,” said HM Shah in a post on X.
“The operation was a brilliant example of seamless multi-agency coordination to achieve Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji’s vision for a drug-free India. Congratulations to the joint team of NCB and Delhi Police,” he said.
Earlier, the NCB said in a statement that its Bhubaneswar Zonal Unit secured the conviction of three accused involved in drug trafficking from the court of the 3rd Additional District and Sessions Judge, Bhubaneswar.
The case dates back to August 13, 2021, when officers of the NCB apprehended three accused persons in possession of 20 kgs of opium.
Subsequent investigation revealed the accused’s involvement in an inter-state smuggling racket, wherein opium was concealed in the specially made cavity in the driver’s cabin of a truck.
All three accused were charge-sheeted in February 2022. The truck used for the transportation of illegal opium was also seized.
The three accused, Vijay Bhan, Suraj Pal, and Surendra, all three residents of Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, have been convicted.
All three convicts have been awarded a sentence of 10 years of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) and a fine of Rs 1 lakh each under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
An NCB official said the conviction underscores NCB’s commitment to dismantling organised drug trafficking networks operating across state boundaries.
This is also the third conviction in as many cases secured by this unit during this calendar year, he said.
(IANS)
