Chandigarh, Sep 30 (IANS) The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of Chandigarh has secured the conviction of two drug traffickers in a 2019 case involving the interstate trafficking of opium poppy straw, an official statement said on Wednesday.
The Special NDPS Court in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur sentenced Muzaffar Ahmad Mir of Jammu and Kashmir and Charanjit Singh Cheema of Hoshiarpur to 11 years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2 lakh each, the statement added.
On June 26, 2019, a team of NCB Chandigarh foiled an attempt to smuggle 500 kg of opium poppy straw from Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab near Mukerian. The contraband was concealed in 20 sacks and hidden beneath scrap loaded in a truck bearing registration No. JK-13-B 7759.
The seizure led to the arrest of the two convicts and another accused, Sheikh. Later, he jumped bail and absconded. During the pendency of the trial, he was declared a proclaimed offender by the court in December 2025. All efforts are being made to apprehend him.
This successful conviction underscores NCB’s firm commitment to combating drug trafficking through professional investigation and effective prosecution. The bureau remains steadfast in its mission to curb the menace of narcotics and contribute towards the vision of a drug-free India.
Earlier, on September 26, the NCB said a Special Court (NDPS) sentenced nine drug traffickers to varying rigorous imprisonment sentences ranging from 20 years to 10 years in the 2021 seizure of 441 kg ganja in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad.
The contraband was concealed in a specially created cavity in the driver’s cabin of the truck. The seized contraband originated from Gajapati, Odisha, and was destined for Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, the NCB had said.
The case was taken over by the NCB for further investigation. During the investigation, seven additional accused persons were arrested and brought to justice.
–IANS
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