Chandigarh: Amidst the ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police’s Special Task Force (STF) frozen 24 bank accounts— with total amount reaching to Rs 6.69 crores— linked to Drug Inspector Shishan Mittal and also seized huge cash and foreign currency during series of coordinated raids conducted at different locations in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.
The raids were conducted as part of the ongoing investigations into allegations against Drug Inspector Shishan Mittal of facilitating drug smuggling operations connected to illegal pharmaceutical and medical stores and laundering the drug money in the benami accounts in names of his relatives. The raids were carried out at eight different locations including Bathinda, Maur Mandi, Giddarbaha, Mohali, Chandigarh and Fatehabad in Haryana.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the bank accounts frozen by the police were in the name of the accused drug inspector and also benami accounts held in the name of his relatives with the total amount in these accounts reaching ₹6.69 crores.
In addition to this, three bank lockers were seized, he said, while adding that police teams have observed serious financial irregularities, whereby frequent cash deposits in these benami accounts have been done and layered under several transactions to conceal the source of origin.
He said that during raids, the STF has recovered approximately ₹9.31 lakh in cash, 260 gm of gold and 515 Dirhams. Furthermore, substantial assets acquired through the proceeds of illegal activities were also identified, including flats valued at Rs 2 crores in Zirakpur, plot in Dabwali worth Rs 40 lakhs among many others, he added.
The DGP said that preliminary investigation suggested that the accused drug inspector had been regularly in touch with drug smugglers lodged inside the jail and facilitated their drug network outside. Probe also found that the accused drug inspector was travelling to foreign countries frequently without taking permission from the government or availing ex-India leave, he added.
“Further investigations are ongoing and action will be taken as per the outcomes of investigation,” said DGP Gaurav Yadav.
A case FIR no 121/2024 has already been registered under section 29 (conspire or abet the commission of offences related to narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances) and 59 (a public servant who wilfully supports or abets drug smugglers, or neglects their duties concerning the enforcement of drug laws, can be subjected to severe penalties, including imprisonment) of the NDPS Act and section 111 (organised crime) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in this regard.
