Ahmedabad, June 15 (IANS) A Special NDPS Court, Vadodara, has sentenced a drug trafficker to 10 years of Rigorous Imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh in an inter-state smuggling case dating back to 2021, an official said on Monday.

Aslam Ahmad Pathan, a resident of Shahpur, Ahmedabad, was caught with 99 grams of Mephedrone(MD) in April 2021, the NCB said.

The contraband was being transported from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, the NCB said.

Earlier, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Jaipur Zonal Unit, on Friday secured the conviction of an accused involved in the interstate smuggling of illegal opium, a prohibited substance under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.

The Special Judge (NDPS) Court in Ajmer, presided over by Bhanukumar, convicted Jawarilal, son of Sahiram and a resident of Dangiyawas in Jodhpur district, Rajasthan, in a significant drug trafficking case registered by the NCB’s Jodhpur unit.

According to the NCB, the case dates back to May 2020, when officials received specific intelligence regarding the transportation of illegal opium in a truck bearing registration number RJ-19 GC 0501. Acting on the information and following the prescribed legal procedures, NCB officers established an interception point near Gegal Toll Plaza in Ajmer.

During a search operation conducted on May 19, 2020, officials discovered a specially concealed compartment near the truck’s fuel tank.

A total of 22 packets containing 40.850 kilograms of opium were recovered from the hidden cavity.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the contraband had originated from Sherghati in Bihar and was being transported to Pali in Rajasthan.

The probe further established the involvement of the accused in the illegal transportation of the narcotic substance.

After examining the evidence presented by the prosecution and hearing arguments from both sides, the Special Court found the accused guilty under the provisions of the NDPS Act. The court sentenced Jawarilal to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh.

–IANS

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