In a major crackdown, the Punjab Police on Tuesday froze assets, worth over Rs. 3.90 crore, belonging to eight Tarn Taran drug peddlers apprehended under various provisions of the NDPS Act.All movable and immovable assets of the smugglers have been frozen immediately after the police received clearance for the action from the Department of Revenue, Government of India - the Competent Authority in this case, according to an official spokesperson. The police had sought clearance for the same under the Smugglers & Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act 1976 & u/s 68F(2) of the NDPS Act 1985.Giving details, a police spokesperson said the action was expected to act as a deterrent for drug smugglers and peddlers, to strengthen the campaign launched by the Captain Amarinder Singh government to wipe out the drug menace from the state.The bulk of the assets frozen belong to Mukhtiar Singh @ Kaka s/o Amrik Singh, against whom an FIR was lodged at PS Sarai Amanat Khan after seizure of 1 KG heroin. Police have frozen his properties worth over Rs. 1.20 Crores, including 65 canals 19 marlas of agricultural land, valued at Rs 83, 43, 750, beside a residential property worth Rs. 34, 29, 680.In another case, property worth Rs. 73,22,500 Lakhs has been seized under FIR No 119, dated 9 July, 2012, against Sukhbir Singh s/o Mukhtiar Singh of village Havelian.
Further, property of Jasbir Singh s/o Channan Singh worth over Rs. 60 Lakhs, including agricultural land worth over Rs. 46 Lakhs and a residential property costing Rs. 14,01,160, has been attached. Police had recovered 1 kg heroin from his possession, and a case under section 15/18/22/22/61 of NDPS Act had been registered against him.Residential property worth Rs. 36 Lakhs, belonging to Dilsher Singh s/o Surmukh Singh of village Havellian, against whom FIR No. 55 dated August 2, 2013, had been registered at Police Station Sarai Amanat Khan u/s 21/61/85 of NDPS Act post recovery of 1.3 kgs heroin, has also been frozen.In the case of Sukhraj Singh of village Ramuwal, Rs. 33.77 Lakh worth of agricultural and residential property has been seized.Agriculture Land and a residential house valuing over Rs 34 Lakhs of Sukhbir singh @ Samma s/o Jagtar singh of village Kasel, PS Sarai Amanat Khan, has also been seized as part of the crackdown. Sukhbir has a case under FIR No 19 dated 19 July 2011 registered against him for possession of 2 kg heroin.Another property worth over Rs 46 Lakhs was seized from Chamkaur Singh s/o Sukhdev Singh, r/o Sarai Amant Khan, who was arrested for possessing 2.5 kg heroin in 2014. FIR No. 45 dated May 8, 2014 u/s 21/61/85 NDPS Act was lodged against him at PS Sarai Amant Khan, said the spokesperson.In the case of Balkar Singh s/o Balwant Singh, who was arrested with 1 kg Heroin by Tarn Taran police, property worth Rs. 19 Lakhs has been seized under FIR No 76 dated June 16, 2014.