Chandigarh: The total recovery of precursor chemicals in the multi-crore synthetic drug racket case has gone up to nearly 1,000 kgs as Punjab police yesterday said that they have seized 325 kgs more of these chemicals from a factory in Baddi in Himachal Pradesh, owned by an accused.
Along with the recovery of chemicals like ephedrine and pseudoephedrine from the factory owned by accused Jagjit Singh Chahal, police today claimed that they have also unearthed an illegal weapons supply racket.
“Investigations into the synthetic drugs racket by the Punjab Police have also uncovered an illegal weapons supply racket in which small weapons were smuggled from across the international border,” Mann said.
Prime accused and Arjuna awardee wrestler Jagdish Singh alias Bhola and his four aides were the first ones to be apprehended in the case, followed by the arrest of Chahal and Manjinder Singh Aulakh, both from Amritsar district.
Mann said the Punjab police was working in a systematic manner for conducting a thorough and meticulous investigations so as to expose every link in the multi-crore racket.
“The total recoveries effected so far were worth over Rs 925 crores in the international market (street market), and it was expected that more recoveries would be effected soon as the investigation progresses,” he said.
Giving details on the illegal weapons supply racket, Mann said small weapons smuggled from across the international border were sold to unsuspecting buyers as legitimate Indian weapons through connivance of certain arms dealers and some officials of Arms Licensing Branches.
“Four small weapons including three 0.30 bore pistols and one 0.32 bore pistol have been recovered so far. One jeep has also been recovered,” he said.
