Punjab: Cracking down on illegal drug trade, the Wahabwala police arrested a tea stall owner in Khubban village, 28 km from Abohar, for allegedly selling poppy husk. The practice, which is reportedly common in the nearby Sadulshahar area, was now spreading to local tea shops. Sub Inspector Pargat Singh confirmed that acting on a tip-off during routine patrolling, his team raided Kundan Singh’s tea stall in Khubban village. 310 grams of poppy husk and drugs worth Rs 7,460 were seized in the raid.
A case has been registered against Singh under sections 15, 61 and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Earlier, another tea stall owner in Abohar’s Nai Anaj Mandi was found selling poppy husk, and there have been earlier reports of poppy husk being sold at a grocery store in a nearby village. Initial investigations have revealed that most smugglers procure poppy husk from Sadulshahar, where it is readily available.
