Chandigarh, June 10: The seizure of heroin by Punjab Police in the last five days has gone up to 25.5 kg (June 6-10, 2014) with heroin seizures of 2014 crossing 300 kgs, following the arrest of UP-based drug smuggler Mumtaz Mohammad Ali today and recovery of 1.5 kg heroin from him. Investigations have revealed Bacchu Mian of Rampur as the UP-based kingpin who was the “end recipient” of an important heroin trafficking chain starting from Afghanistan to Pakistan, crossing the international border in J&K/Punjab, transiting through Punjab and Delhi and ending in Uttar Pradesh where it is supplied to the distribution network.
Disclosing this here today, Mr. Gaurav Yadav, IGP/Counter Intelligence, Punjab sad that Bacchu Mian was an affluent and well-connected Rampur-based recipient of narcotics. Mumtaz Mohammad Ali is the second associate of Bacchu Mian arrested after Vinod Kumar @ Lucky r/o village Sukhiabad, district Hoshiarpur (Punjab). He used to collect heroin consignments from their Punjab associates in a Canter with fake Haryana registration number HR-03CA 2225. Elaborate arrangements have been made in the vehicle to avoid detection of heroin during transportation and the consignment was hidden in a cavity inside a mustard seed grinder. Investigations have revealed that Bacchu Mian has also been using Afghan couriers for transporting heroin consignments hidden in capsules.
The IGP/CI informed that in the sustained police action in the past three weeks against drug trafficking, several supply chains have been detected. The chain of one cartel starts from one “Bagga Chairman” of Lahore and culminates at one “Anaten” of Sri Lanka who used to collect consignments in Delhi, with several Afghanis in various links. The supply chain unravelled today has Bacchu Mian of Rampur, UP as the “end recipient” with consignments coming from Pakistan and transiting through Punjab and Delhi. Another big supply chain of heroin exposed by Border Range starts with “Arif Mohammad @ Doctor” in Pakistan, transits through Punjab smuggler Gurminder Singh @ Lalli and culminates in Delhi-based Nigerians “Attou” and “Peter”. The Nigerian “end recipients” have been funnelled 50/60 kg heroin in 7/8 consignments between 2010-12. Investigations are ongoing to completely expose and smash such supply chains.
He said that the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) had earlier exposed a supply chain starting from Pakistan smuggler “Abid Ali”, use of Pak couriers Rashid Ahmed and Shaukat Ali, transit smugglers Sukhraj Singh and Balraj Singh, and, “end recipient” Avinash Pandit of Delhi, who were then arrested.