Nurse among 3 held for drug smuggling, 1.5 kg heroin seized in Ludhiana

Ludhiana: The accused had come to Ludhiana to deliver the consignment of drugs when the STF arrested them on Tuesday night

The Special Task Force (STF) Ludhiana range arrested three persons, including a nurse of a military hospital, from Ferozepur for alleged drug peddling and recovered 1.5 kg heroin from their possession.

The accused had come to Ludhiana to deliver the consignment of drugs when the STF arrested them on Tuesday night, police said.

The accused have been identified as Asses alias Ashu, 21, of Ferozepur, Sukhwinder Singh alias Laddi, 41, of Ferozepur Kant and Vandana, 48, of Church road of Ferozepur. The STF also seized a car from their possession in which they were smuggling drugs.

Inspector Harbans Singh, incharge STF Ludhiana, said that they received information that the accused had come to Mohalla Nirmal Nagar in Dugri to deliver the consignment. The STF put up a checkpoint and arrested them.

The accused told STF that they used to procure heroin from a man named Himanshu Bhatti of Ferozepur and smuggle it further.

“Asses is a jeweller. He is already facing a trial in a case of drug peddling in which he was given bail three years ago and again he is involved in drug peddling. Sukhwinder Singh is a taxi driver, while Vandana is a nurse at military hospital, Ferozepur. The woman is into drug peddling for the past 8 years. Her husband is also facing charges of drug peddling,” the inspector said.

“A case under sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act has been lodged against the accused at STF Mohali. The STF has initiated an investigation to trace Himanshu Bhatti,” he added.

He said that the STF has been investigating to know if the accused have cross-border connections.