PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
A suspected drug supply network between Bareilly in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh and Dehradun has come under police scanner after the arrest of a suspected trafficker with 1.3 kilogrammes of heroin in Bareilly. The accused was arrested before the drugs could be supplied to Dehradun. This has raised concern about how drugs are being supplied to young people, including students, in Dehradun.
A joint team of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and Mirganj police arrested Jabbar Khan, a resident of Mohanpur village in Faridpur, near Paraura Cut on Saturday. Police said that the seized heroin has an estimated international market value of around Rs 2.60 crore. A case has been registered against him under Sections 8, 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act.
According to the police, Khan allegedly bought heroin from the Faridpur area and supplied it to Dehradun. Investigators are now trying to identify his forward and backward links, including suppliers, couriers and buyers in Dehradun.
The suspected network is also being examined for its links with students and young people. Police suspect that traffickers target students living in hostels and paying guest accommodations, where they often live away from their families. Investigators are also checking possible links to cafes, private parties and other places where young people gather.
The police suspect that small consignments of the contraband are transported through buses, taxis and private vehicles to avoid detection. Drug dealers may also use internet-based calling services to communicate, officials said.
