Nadiad (Gujarat), May 2 (IANS) A special NDPS Court in Gujarat’s Nadiad convicted and sentenced two persons to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment for their involvement in the interstate smuggling of over 220 kg of poppy straw in 2022, an NCB official said on Saturday.

Jagdish Bhuriya and Dinesh Bhuriya, both residents of Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh, were sentenced to jail by the court on Friday, along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh each, under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 Act, 1985 (as amended), for their involvement in the heinous crime against society.

Acting on the specific and credible intelligence, officers of NCB, Ahmedabad Zonal Unit, intercepted the two accused at Khatraj Chokdi near Mehmedabad, Kheda, Gujarat, on December 22, 2022, the NCB said.

At the time of arrest, Jagdish Bhuriya was driving a vehicle bearing registration number GJ15AD4436, while Dinesh Bhuriya was driving another pickup vehicle with registration number MP13GA5796, the NCB said in a statement.

The contraband was recovered from the vehicle driven by Dinesh Bhuriya. Search proceedings led to the seizure of 229.960 kg of poppy straw, which is prohibited under the NDPS Act, from the possession of the accused, and they were arrested, the NCB said.

Upon completion of the investigation, a charge sheet was filed before the District and Sessions Court at Nadiad on June 16, 2023, for offences punishable under Sections 8(c), 15(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985.

On Friday, the court convicted both Jagdish Bhuriya and Dinesh Bhuriya for 10 years of Rigorous Imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh each under the provisions of the NDPS Act, 1985, said an official NCB statement.

The probe agency said the latest conviction sends an unequivocal message that drug trafficking will not be tolerated. The meticulous investigation and diligent prosecution by the NCB Ahmedabad Zonal Unit have ensured that justice is delivered, protecting communities from the devastating consequences of narcotic drug abuse, said the statement.

–IANS

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