The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Friday arrested one man from Punjab’s Ludhiana who had been leading an international drug syndicate and seized 53 liquor vends and 13 sub vends from his possession.

According to IPS Gyaneshwar Singh, the accused identified as Akshay Chabra had shared the vends in three liquor groups of Ludhiana, namely– Fortis Group, Dholewal Group, and Gill Chowk Group in the excise fiscal of 2022-23.

Singh disclosed that they had recovered 34.466 kgs of Heroin, 5.470 kgs of morphine, 557 grams of opium and 23.645 kgs suspect narcotics powder has been seized and 16 persons have been arrested.

“It had come to light during the investigation that the international drug syndicate led by Akshay Chabra had pumped crores of drug money in liquor vends in Ludhiana,” he said.

As drug money was invested in the stock, security and licenses of these liquor vends were also frozen.

“In total 53 liquor vends and 13 sub vends pertaining to these three circles wherein this international drug syndicate had invested money have been freezed by the NCB Chandigarh Zonal Unit on January 20,” an official statement read.
More details are awaited. (ANI)