Three held with 20 kg opium

With the arrest of three alleged drug peddlers along with 20 kg opium, police today claimed to have busted an interstate gang of narcotic dealers.
Acting on a tip-off, police impounded a truck of a private transport company at a check-post, SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu told reporters here.
On searching the truck, 20.50 kg opium was recovered and three accused-- Jagdip Singh of Ludhiana, Sardar Mohammed of Hoshiarpur district and Salim Mohammed of Nawan Shahar-- were taken into custody, he said.
Preliminary interrogation revealed that the truck was coming from Mumbai via Rajasthan, the SSP said.
He said the accused confessed that they were in opium-peddling trade for a long time and used to purchase the drug from a smuggler in Rajasthan for Rs 50,000 per kg.

They said that a Ludhiana-based peddler used to further sell it at the rate of Rs 75,000 per kg, the SSP said.
Police remand of the accused, who had been arrested under provisions of the NDPS Act, would be sought from a local court for further interrogation, the official added.