Following the leads provided by the Punjab police, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police in a joint search operation with the Indian Army on Tuesday recovered two bags carrying Rs 1.64 crore drug money from Rajouri district in J&K, revealed Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta.
According to him, drug money is allegedly linked with the seizure of 17 Kg heroin, which was recovered by the Amritsar Rural Police on 26 August, after arresting Amritsar-based Ranjit Singh alias Sonu, who was using two specially designed and fabricated compartments fitted underneath his Toyota Innova cab to smuggle the consignment.
Sharing details further, Gupta said that during interrogation, Sonu revealed that he picked the consignment from the Nowshera area of J&K from drug suppliers identified as Sikander Hayyat, Mansur Hussain, and Zaffar Hussain.
“Following inputs of Sonu, a police team from Punjab was sent to Nowshera and with the support of J&K Police, the teams had managed to arrest Sikandar and Zaffar, on 29 August; while Manzur could not be arrested as of now. Later, on the disclosures of Sikandar and Zaffar, the Police teams from Punjab had also recovered Rs 29.5 lakh drug money from their home at Nowshera,” the DGP said while adding that on revelations of Sikander and Zaffar, the police on Saturday had recovered 4 kg more heroin concealed in the doors of the same Innova car.
Gupta said that during further interrogation, the duo revealed about the drug money concealed by a third accomplice Manzur Hussain at his premises. “Acting on the inputs provided, the J&K Police along with Indian Army launched a search operation and recovered the cash of Rs 1,64,70,600 from two bags. However, efforts are on to nab Manzur Hussain,” he said.
SSP Gulneet Singh said that the J&K police have registered FIR under sections 17, 21 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act at Nowshera police station and further investigations are on to unravel the entire network.
Pertinently, Sonu, during his initial interrogation, had also exposed the jail-link.