Drug racket raids in UP traces State, Myanmar links
Source: The Sangai Express
Patiala, December 14 2013 :
Further investigations into the multi-crore Delhi-based syn-thetic drug racket busted by the Punjab Police yesterday have led to searches being conducted in pharmaceutical units in Roorkee (UP) after obtaining search warrants from a Patiala court, and further seizures of precursor chemicals and syn-thetic drugs are expected.
It may be mentioned here that Varinder Singh alias Raja was arrested from New Delhi on December 8, 2013 and Hrang Tin Khara alias Robert was also arrested from New Delhi on December 10, 2013 by Punjab Police.
Disclosing this here Friday, Hardyal Singh Mann, SSP, Patiala said that investigations have revealed opera- tional details about the synthetic drug racket in Myanmar and other foreign countries which were being developed and would be shared with concerned authorities through the Counter Intelligence Wing of the Punjab Police.
He informed that names of several women based in Myanmar who were figuring in the drug racket have also been revealed.
A female operative named Lalumi who was reportedly based in Khampat, Myanmar was in active touch with Robert and Varinder Raja and made at least six trips to India to obtain contraband consignments and further ship them to recipient parties on the Myanmar-China border.
Lalumi is in her mid-forties and runs a traditional clothes business as her cover, he added.
Mann further said that it has also been revealed that contraband consignments were transported from New Delhi to Imphal by air cargo mainly in the morning flights and would also be sent by road through trucks via Guwahati.
From Imphal, the contraband would be transported by road to Tamu on the Myan-mar border.
The District Police Chief revealed that the questioning of Varinder Raja and Robert has exposed contrasting lifestyles followed by these two drug traffickers - Raja follo-wing a flashy living by show- ing off his dubiously -acquired riches while Robert following a Spartan lifestyle for its anonymity.
Raja liked to wear branded clothes, going to discos and parties while Robert stayed in one room tenements to avoid attracting attention to him.
Robert has been extremely hard to get, used several aliases and visited New Delhi on business only - for obtaining consignments of precur- sor chemicals and transporting the contraband to Myanmar.
Mann further said Robert is a well-educated person, having graduated in B.Sc (Maths) from Yatanma University, Medley in 2002.He is fluent in English, besides Mizo and Burmese, unusual for a Myanmar national.
Varinder Raja travelled extensively to Myanmar, China, UK and Dubai among other countries.
He has an exporter license for sewing machines and was a registered member of Trade Fair in Ghuzou, China.
Five persons, including a Myanmar national, were arrested recently with drugs worth over Rs 200 crore from Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.
Suresh Kumar, manager of a Gagret-based factory in Himachal Pradesh; Varinder Singh Raja of Vikaspuri, Delhi; Hrang Tin Khara alias Robert of Rangoon, Myanmar; Rajesh Kumar Bansal of Rohini, Delhi; and Ajay Jain of Rohini, Delhi were arrested by Punjab Police in the past week.
All the five arrested persons will be produced in court on December 16.Further investigations were ongoing, the SSP added.