PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Haldwani
In a major breakthrough under the Uttarakhand government’s ‘Drug Free Devbhoomi’ campaign, the Kathgodam Police and SOG team arrested a suspected drug peddler and recovered 2.014 kg of illegal hashish (charas) worth around Rs 4 lakh from his possession.
The accused, identified as 47-year-old Inderjeet Singh, a resident of Haripur Karnal Ward in Kathgodam and a flower pot vendor, used this trade as a cover for trafficking narcotics, police said.
Police further said that the joint operation was carried out under the supervision of Kathgodam station house officer Vimal Kumar Mishra. During a checking drive near a coaching centre in Jagannath Colony on Tuesday, the police intercepted a suspicious individual and conducted a search, leading to the recovery of the contraband.
During interrogation, the accused is said to have told police that aside from selling flower pots, he used to work as a labourer in agricultural field and also as a daily wager. He is said to have further confessed to police that the recovered charas had been supplied to him by an acquaintance for further distribution.
Police said efforts are underway to trace other members linked to the network.
A case under the NDPS Act has been registered at Kathgodam police station. The officials added that the accused has a previous criminal record under NDPS Act, and further investigation is in progress.
