The Special Cell of Delhi Police arrested six people, including a woman, in two different operations on Saturday and recovered drugs worth over Rs 85 crore in the international market. The police also seized a total of 101.62 kg of opium and 2 kg of heroin along with Rs 7.5 lakh hawala money in the exercise, reported news agency PTI. The first such operation was conducted on April 23, in which the police got a tip-off that accused Lakhpat and Suresh would go to Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar around 10 am in their truck to supply opium to one of the contacts of Chand, a senior police officer said.
Officials said the accused have been identified as Lakhpat Singh (43), Suresh (24), Prakash Puri (39), Dal Chand (36), Taslima Begum (38), and Ravi Prakash (34), a resident of Delhi. All of them are residents of Uttar Pradesh, Uttrakhand and Assam respectively.
Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) H G S Dhaliwal said, as quoted by news agency PTI, "A raid was conducted and the duo (accused Lakhpat and Suresh) was apprehended. A total of 5.31 kg opium was recovered from the possession of Lakhpat and 96.31 kg opium, which was concealed between 682 gunny bags containing coconuts, was recovered from the truck."
After the first such operation earlier in April, a team was sent to Kichha in Uttrakhand to arrest Dal Chand, the key member of the cartel, as per the police, reported PTI. This was done on the basis of the disclosure statements of the accused.
Later, another key member of the syndicate Puri was arrested from Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, and Rs 7.5 lakh was seized from his house.
Commenting on the matter Dhaliwal said, "Lakhpat told police that he was into drug trafficking for the last five to six years. He had procured the recovered opium from Jharkhand-based suppliers on the directions of Chand.”
He also added, as quoted by PTI, “He (Lakhpat) said Chand directs him to receive the consignment from various places in Jharkhand. He used to conceal the opium between bags of coconuts.”
According to the police, Chand also disclosed that he used to supply contraband to various local contacts in Delhi/NCR, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh.
The police further said, he used to send the money to his suppliers by hawala transactions through Puri, reported PTI.
According to a separate piece of information, a woman from Assam, who was indulged in drug trafficking after procuring heroin from suppliers of northeastern states, would come near the Shakur Basti Railway Station to supply heroin to one Ravi.
Therefore, a trap was laid and both the accused were arrested and two kg heroin was recovered from their possession, said Dhaliwal.