Police freeze properties of eight drug dealers in Tarn Taran

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police have frozen assets worth over Rs 3.90 crore belonging to eight Taran Taran drug dealers. All of them were arrested with at least 1 kg of heroin during the past few years and booked under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.


The state police had sought clearance from the Union government under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976, and under section 68F(2) of the NDPS Act, 1985.

All movable and immovable assets of the drug smugglers were frozen on Monday, immediately after the clearance came from the Centre’s department of revenue. Most of these cases were registered at Sarai Amanat Khan police station.

Freezing of assets in cases under the NDPS Act are expected to act as a deterrent for drug runners. A police spokesperson said that bulk of the frozen assets belong to Mukhtiar Singh alias Kaka against whom an FIR was lodged at police station Sarai Amanat Khan after seizure of 1 kilogram heroin from him. Police have frozen Mukhtiar’s properties worth over Rs 1.20 crore, including 65 kanals and 19 marlas of agricultural land valued at Rs 83.43 lakh and a residential property worth Rs 34.29 lakh.

In another case, property worth Rs 73.22 lakh has been seized under the FIR registered on July 9, 2012, against Sukhbir Singh of Havelian village in Tarn Taran district . In third case, properties of Jasbir Singh worth over Rs 60 lakh, including agricultural land worth over Rs 46 lakh and a residential property costing Rs 14.01 lakh, have been attached. Punjab Police had recovered 1 kilogram heroin from his possession.

Similalry, residential property worth Rs 36 lakh belonging to Dilsher Singh of same Havelian village has also been frozen. An FIR on August 2, 2013, was registered against Dilsher at police station Sarai Amanat Khan under the NDPS Act post recovery of 1.3 kilogram of heroin.

Assets worth Rs 33.77 lakh, including agricultural and residential properties, have been attached belonging to Sukhraj Singh of Ramuwal village. Agriculture land and a residential house worth over Rs 34 lakh of Sukhbir Singh alias Samma of Kasel village under police station Sarai Amanat Khan has also been seized as part of the crackdown. Sukhbir has a case under FIR registered on July 19, 2011, against him for possession of 2 kilogram heroin.

In another case, property worth over Rs 46 lakh belonging to Chamkaur Singh of Sarai Amanat Khan village has been attached. He was arrested for possessing 2.5 kg heroin in 2014. FIR on May 8, 2014, under NDPS Act was lodged against him at police station Sarai Amanat Khan. Balkar Singh’s property worth Rs 19 lakh has been seized in a case registered after he was arrested with 1 kilogram heroin by Tarn Taran police on June 16, 2014.