JAISALMER: Hanumangarh police on Monday carried out a major operation against drug trafficking and seized a huge consignment of prohibited intoxicating tablets and capsules. Police seized a total of 4,12,332 intoxicating tablets and capsules and arrested three accused. The value of the seized intoxicating and prohibited medicines has been estimated at around Rs 17 crore.Superintendent of Police B. Aditya, while briefing the media at a press conference held at his office on Monday, said the action was carried out under the special campaign ‘Operation Chakravyuh’, launched to curb drug trafficking in the district, take effective action against drug traffickers and apprehend wanted persons involved in drug trafficking.Under the operation, police arrested three suppliers along with a consignment of 4,12,332 intoxicating and prohibited tablets worth around Rs 17 crore.He said that a police team led by Lakhvir Singh, Station House Officer of Hanumangarh Town Police Station, along with SI Ramkar, acted on information provided by SI Tarachand, in-charge of the District Special Team (DST), Hanumangarh. During the operation, the team recovered the drugs from a warehouse in Sindhi Mohalla, Hanumangarh Town, and arrested Manpreet Singh, Vinod Kumar and Pappu Singh. A vehicle bearing registration number 13 UA 5211 was also seized.The police team stopped and checked a vehicle and found several cartons filled with intoxicating tablets and capsules. On counting, the consignment was found to contain 1,99,400 Pregabalin capsules, 2,12,900 Tapentadol Hydrochloride tablets and 32 other tablets. In total, 4,12,332 prohibited intoxicating tablets and capsules were seized.The 32 tablets fall under the prohibited narcotic substances covered by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. Therefore, Section 8/22 of the NDPS Act has also been added to the case registered against the accused.The three arrested accused have been identified as Manpreet Singh Jat Sikh (37), a resident of Ward No. 20, Ramana Colony; Vinod Kumar Meghwal (34), a resident of Ward No. 6 near Gol Diggi, Kohla village; and Pappu Singh Mazhabi Sikh (35), a resident of Ramsara Narayan under Hanumangarh Town Police Station.SP B. Aditya said that during preliminary interrogation, the accused admitted that they were working with a large gang involved in supplying intoxicating tablets in Hanumangarh district headquarters and surrounding areas. Several other people are also suspected to be involved in the gang, and questioning is underway. Further investigation in the case is being conducted by Lakhbir Singh, Station House Officer of Hanumangarh Town Police Station.The Superintendent of Police specifically appreciated the important role played by District Special Team constables Devkaran and Sukhjot Singh in the operation. Additional Superintendent of Police Arvind and DSP Meenakshi Saharan were also present at the press conference.Detailed interrogation and investigation are underway to identify other associates involved in the gang and trace the source and destination of the consignment of intoxicating tablets.
