The Jalandhar police in Punjab on Saturday arrested a 25-year-old post-graduate student, who has alleged links to a Nepal drug trafficking racket, and recovered 15.2 kg of charas from his possession.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Tanveer, a resident of Bihar, was produced before a court and was remanded in police custody for further investigation into the drug trafficking network, said Ravinder Kumar, Station House Officer (SHO), Navi Baradari police station.
Tanveer, an MA Sociology student, was previously involved in smuggling liquor from Punjab to Bihar, the officer said.
Kumar said the arrest was made during a checking drive near the Railway Colony. Acting on suspicion, a police team noticed a young man approaching from the Bashirpura side who became visibly nervous on spotting the police. “The suspect threw a white sack and tried to flee from the spot. Our team immediately overpowered him,” the SHO said.
Upon checking the sack, police recovered 15 kg and 200 grams of charas, a cannabis product.
Investigations have further revealed that the accused allegedly has links to a charas trafficking network operating out of Nepal. During questioning, he reportedly disclosed that he had brought around 15 kg of charas from Nepal and concealed it in a suitcase. He claimed that 200 grams had been kept separately as a sample for prospective buyers.
According to the police, the accused travelled from Nepal to Uttar Pradesh, where the contraband was transferred into a sack. After reaching Jalandhar, he was waiting to receive a location from a buyer, where the sample was to be shown and the deal finalised.
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Senior police officers said the accused’s statements are being thoroughly verified. Efforts are underway to identify the areas where the contraband was to be supplied and to trace other individuals involved in the network, the police said.
The accused has claimed that this was his first involvement in charas smuggling; however, police said the authenticity of this claim is also being examined. He remains on police remand, and further questioning is underway.