Saturday, Dec 19, 2020 07:45 [IST]
Last Update: Saturday, Dec 19, 2020 02:08 [IST]
GANGTOK,: A police officer and four persons were arrested by Sikkim Police while busting one of the biggest illicit drugs trafficking rackets in the State.
ASI (Gangtok traffic branch) Ritu Kumar Baniya was found in the driver’s seat when the taxi with the alleged contraband drugs substances worth around Rs. 14 lakh were intercepted by a police team near Topakhani along the NH-10 on Thursday.
Sharing details about the drug bust on Friday here, DIG (Range) Prawin Gurung congratulated SP (east) Shiva Prasad Yallasari, Singtam SHO Santa Gurung and his team for nabbing the accused persons with a huge drug substance consignment entering Sikkim. It is unfortunate to know that a police officer was involved in this crime, he said.
Gurung informed that the SP (east) had received a tip-off from a credible source on Thursday about some persons proceeding towards Gangtok with a huge consignment of drugs from Siliguri. The number of the taxi vehicle was also shared to Sikkim Police who maintained a vigil in the border checkposts.
However, the taxi somehow managed to pass through Rangpo checkpost. It was then intercepted near Topakhani, about 20 km away from Gangtok by the police team. To their surprise, the police discovered the accused ASI driving the targeted taxi.
A search of the taxi led to the recovery of 23,184 Sampex+ loose capsules, 24 strips of Spasmoproxyvon, 100 strips of N-10 tablets, 457 cough syrup bottles and one transparent plastic pouch containing alleged 52 grams of brown sugar.
Later a follow-up search was conducted at a room in Rakdong Tintek where more drug substances – 3634 loose Sampex+ capsules, 380 N-10 tablets and 21.24 grams of brown sugar- along with Rs. 1.20 lakh in cash were recovered.
Along with the ASI, the other accused persons are Sanjay Pradhan (Salman), Midas Rai, Suk Bahadur Rai and Sushil Mahtowas. All have been arrested and booked under various sections of SADA 2006 and NDPS Act.
