90% of NCB regional recoveries from Punjab

Chandigarh,

Nearly 90 per cent of the cases registered and drug recoveries by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Chandigarh, were from Punjab this year.

The prominent cases included the busting of an international cartel of smuggling South American cocaine to Punjab via Canada. Also, 1,60,800 Tramadol tablets were seized and eight persons, including two doctors and two chemists, were arrested from Ludhiana during the Lok Sabha elections this year.

Covering the states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, the NCB nearly doubled the recovery of charas and opium while poppy husk/straw seizure was nearly four times than the last year. It has registered a 37 per cent increase in the number of cases registered by it.

This coincides with the doubling of NCB staff as well as opening of a sub-office in Amritsar. The data is available till December 1, this year.

Cases filed in 2019Punjab Total

61 70

Arrests made

48 77

Drug seizure

62.7 kg 94.8 kg (Charas)

7.3 kg 39 kg (Opium)

1,928.8 kg 1,929.5 kg (Poppy husk)

86.9 kg 86.9 kg (Heroin)

(till December 1, 2019)

According to data, the NCB lodged 70 cases as compared to 51 last year. As many as 61 of these were regarding operations in Punjab. Of the 77 persons arrested for smuggling narcotics, 48 were from Punjab.

The recovery of charas went up to 94.8 kg from 50.5 kg last year. Opium seizure stood at 39 kg against 18.6 kg last year.

At 1,929.5 kg, there was a four-time rise in poppy husk/straw recovery. Almost all of it was recovered from Punjab.

However, there was a dip in seizure of heroin this year. Against 101.2 kg of heroin recovered last year, the NCB laid its hands on 86.9 kg of the contraband this year. All of it was seized in the state.

NCB officials said Punjab had remained in focus due to high activity of drug smugglers in the region. The bureau carried out operations in sync with the Border Security Force, Punjab Police, Special Task Force and other agencies.