The Punjab police on Sunday claimed to have busted an international drugs smuggling racket, including an Indian-origin, a Canadian national.
According to the senior police officer, the gang was using the courier service to smuggle drugs overseas, by hiding them in traditional utensils being couriered to Canada.
The opium and the potent date rape drug Ketamine were the drugs involved in smuggling.
Additional Inspector General of Police, Counter Intelligence H.K.P.S. Khakh said the police had been chasing Canadian National Davinder Dev, 68, for some time.
The apprehensions of smuggling gang were made in Jalandhar district.
“The racket was found to be masterminded by Canadian citizens Kamaljit Singh Chauhan, residing in Toronto, and Davinder Nirwal was also known as Dev,” Khakh said in a statement on Sunday.
“Dev, a big name in the drug smuggling world, had been under close watch by the Enforcement Directorate and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB),” said Khakh, who strategized the joint operation undertaken by the Counter Intelligence Wing and police in Jalandhar Rural.
The ketamine of 4.75 Kg and 6 Kg of opium were seized by police, which was neatly packed in double layered seven cauldrons, used for the preparation of langar material.
The other accused have been identified as Ajit Singh, Tarlochan Singh, and Gurbax Singh.
A police spokesperson said the drug syndicate had a well-established chain of supply within India and abroad, and the police were on the trail of others involved in the racket, as well as the courier route used by them.
“All payments were being made through Hawala channels, which are also under investigation,” the spokesman added.
Police said that Dev was a notorious smuggler who had been arrested in 2011 for international smuggling of narcotics.
“He had acquired huge properties from drug money and had purchased a commercial plaza of 6,000 square feet, along with some other properties in Jaipur, which have been sealed by the ED (Enforcement Directorate),” the spokesman said.
Along with Dubai and Canada, Dev operated his smuggling channel as well as many different states of India, including Maharashtra, Goa, and Rajasthan.
“Earlier, he had smuggled around 5 quintals of ketamine through containers from Jaipur to Canada through Kandla port in Gujarat,” the spokesman said.
By Sowmya Sangam
