Banaskantha, July 11 (IANS) A Special NDPS Court in Palanpur has sentenced a man to 20 years’ rigorous imprisonment in connection with a Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) case involving the seizure of 16.575 kg of charas valued at more than Rs one crore, nearly six years after the narcotics were recovered.

The judgment, pronounced on July 9, convicted Samir Ahmed Sheikh Nagori under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act based on evidence presented by the prosecution. Along with the prison term, the court imposed a fine of Rs two lakh.

It ordered that if the fine is not paid, the convict will have to undergo an additional one year of rigorous imprisonment.

According to the ATS, the case was registered in 2020 after officers, acting on specific intelligence, intercepted a vehicle and seized 16.575 kg of charas with an estimated value of Rs 1,00,51,800.

In its judgment, the Special NDPS Court observed that trafficking in narcotic drugs in commercial quantities poses “a serious threat to society, particularly to the younger generation”.

Taking into account the quantity of the contraband, the gravity of the offence and its wider impact on society, the court imposed a stringent sentence on the convicted accused.

The ATS said proceedings against the remaining accused in the case will continue separately in accordance with law. The case dates back to October 2020, when the Gujarat ATS intercepted a Maharashtra-registered car near Palanpur in Banaskantha district following a tip-off.

Investigators said the charas had allegedly been transported from Ludhiana, Punjab, and concealed in cartons of apples.

Two men from Maharashtra, including Samir Shaikh, were arrested at the scene, while the ATS later arrested an alleged key conspirator from Ahmedabad during the course of the investigation.

Investigators had alleged that the consignment was to be delivered in Gujarat for monetary consideration.

The conviction comes under the NDPS Act, which prescribes stringent punishment for offences involving commercial quantities of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

Under the law, commercial quantity offences can attract rigorous imprisonment extending up to 20 years along with substantial monetary penalties.

–IANS

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