Panipat, May 7 (IANS) A Special NDPS Court in Haryana’s Panipat district sentenced three drug traffickers to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment each in a 2021 interstate charas trafficking case, a Narcotics Crime Bureau (NCB) official said on Thursday.

The Special Court held Mohd. Wali, Mohd. Rehan Shah and Imran Khan, all three residents of Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit, guilty under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for carrying 10 kg charas.

“While sentencing the accused trio to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment, the court also slapped a penalty of Rs 2 lakh each,” an official of NCB’s Delhi Zonal Unit said.

The Special court delivered its judgment in the case on May 5, the NCB said in a statement.

The case originated on September 28, 2021, when NCB officials, acting on specific intelligence, intercepted three suspects in Panipat.

The operation led to the seizure of 10 kg of charas sourced from Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar, an official statement said.

“The success of the case is attributed to the diligent and meticulous investigation carried out by the NCB. Through effective tracing of backward linkages, the kingpin was identified and apprehended in Jammu as the main supplier, thereby ensuring disruption of the entire supply chain,” the federal probe agency said.

This sentencing serves as a powerful deterrent against narco-trafficking, the statement said, adding that it also highlights the NCB’s sustained focus on strengthening the quality of prosecution and investigative standards.

Such results contribute significantly to the rising national conviction rate and demonstrate the agency’s resolve to seek the maximum penalties under the NDPS Act.

The NCB urged citizens to share information regarding narcotics trafficking through the MANAS — National Narcotics Helpline (Toll-Free Number: 1933), assuring that informers’ identities will be kept confidential.

–IANS

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