Drug smuggler gets 20-year jail term

A local court has awarded 20 years of rigorous imprisonment to a drug smuggler who was arrested here with huge quantity of poppy husk, a contraband.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh on Mahinder Singh yesterday, the prosecution said. If the convict fails to pay the penalty, he would undergo an additional jail term of two years, it said.

Mahinder was arrested with 275.5 kg of poppy husk last year.

Based on his information, five others were arrested in the matter, but were acquitted due to lack of evidence, prosecution said.