Chandigarh, Nov 26
The Punjab Police’s Anti-Narcotic Task Force (ANTF) has executed orders of preventive detention of another top drug smuggler, Gurdeep Singh, a resident of Ludhiana district, using special provisions under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday.
This is the second such case of preventive detention in which orders have been issued by the competent authority under Section 3 of the PIT-NDPS Act, which empowers the government to take such drug smugglers into preventive custody to prevent them from engaging in illicit traffic of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Notably, a month back, Punjab Police had executed the orders of preventive detention of a notorious drug smuggler, Avtar Singh, alias Tari, of Gurdaspur district for two years using special provisions under the PIT-NDPS Act.
DGP Yadav said during the investigation, it was found that Gurdeep Singh had links with international smugglers, Harminder Singh, Rajan Sharma, Tanvir Bedi, and Baljit Singh.
Accused Gurdeep Singh’s assets of Rs 7.80 crore, acquired through illicit means, have been frozen by the competent authority, he added.
He said Gurdeep Singh is a repeat offender with seven cases registered under the NDPS Act. He is involved in trans-border drug smuggling networks with Pakistani smugglers.
As per the information, the Special Task Force (Ludhiana Range) had registered a case against Gurdeep Singh and other co-accused under the NDPS Act in October 2020 and recovered 31.418 kg heroin, 6 kg amphetamine, 2 kg chemical powder, and five luxury cars/vehicles. Apart from this, another case was registered against him in November 2020, when there was a recovery of 5.7 kg heroin, 400 gm opium, three pistols, a revolver, two rifles, 12 luxury cars and Rs 50.24 lakh drug money.
The DGP said Gurdeep Singh has been detained under the PIT-NDPS Act for one year and has been transferred from Central Jail in Kapurthala to Central Jail in Bathinda for strict monitoring.