Patiala: An multi-crore international synthetic drug racket based in Delhi was busted yesterday by Punjab Police which arrested three persons, including an “influential” businessman.
The breakthrough comes close on the heels of the busting of Jagdish Bhola-controlled drug network last month.
“The kingpin of the Delhi-based module was Dev Behl, a businessman based in Chander Lok, New Delhi,” Patiala Zone IGP Paramjit Singh Gill said here.
Besides Behl, two other persons Rakesh Tinku, a resident of Subhash Nagar in New Delhi, and Behl's driver Mohinder were also arrested. Mohinder is a resident of Una in Himachal Pradesh.
While Dev Behl and Rakesh Tinku were arrested from Delhi, Mohinder was arrested from Una, Himachal Pardesh. Gill said preliminary questioning of the arrested persons has revealed a major international drug racket based in New Delhi.
“The gang used to obtain raw materials (precursor chemicals ephedrine and pseudoephedrine) and convert them into synthetic drugs like ICE (M-amphetamine).
The gang then supplied them to international markets, including Canada. The gang had been active for the last three years,” Gill said.
Investigations carried out so far have disclosed that at least three consignments of synthetic drugs were supplied to Canada by this drug network and one of the recipients of the contraband has been identified as Iqbal Singh of Canada.
Gill said Behl is an influential Delhi-based businessman with varied interests.
Earlier, he owned a pharmaceutical company. He owns a hotel a marriage palace in Himachal and a marriage palace on Karnal Road, Delhi, apart from other business interests.
Rakesh Tinku was an associate of Dev Behl who worked for him and has a garment export licence in Delhi.
He said that the accused have been booked under appropriate sections of law in Patiala district.
The arrested persons would be produced before the court concerned where police remand for their further custodial interrogation would be sought.
He said that based on inputs received from the arrested persons, police parties have been dispatched to various places in Delhi and other states to conduct further raids.
Necessary liaison was being done with the Delhi police in this regard, he added.
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