BATHINDA: The Bathinda police have cracked a case of illegal drug supplies from Manipur with arrest of two people residing at Ludhiana, and have recovered 24 kg opium from them.According to information, Kanwaldeep Singh (43) of Chingmei village in Imphal and Sanjeev Roshan of Sapamena village in Manipur, were into illegal drug trade for the last 5 months and have smuggled nearly 3 quintals of opium. They were arrested on Thursday night at Rampura city when they were on their way to supply opium at Mehraj village.Kanwaldeep, originally a transporter from Guwahati had settled in Manipur, and Sanjeev, who belongs to Bihar , is a labour contractor at Guwahati cantonment but was brought up in Manipur. Both had taken a rented accommodation in Ludhiana after they found that supplying opium to Punjab was a profitable venture. They were in touch with a Guwahati-based contact, who connected them to opium suppliers in Manipur, for a commission.As the smuggling was being carried out from Manipur near the international border, police are investigating if any international gang was active in drug supplies.Bathinda range inspector general of police (IG) M F Farooqui told TOI that police had a tip off that two persons from Manipur, residing in Ludhiana, were into opium smuggling. On further information, the police on Tuesday evening got to know that they were coming to Rampura to supply opium in one of the cars bearing registration numbers AS 01DE8797 or PB 31U 0623. The police laid a naka near Rampura and stopped the vehicle.Upon searching the car, 24 kg opium was seized, said the police. During investigations, they revealed that they used to get supplies from one Banboy in Kankopi town of Manipur. They used to get it for Rs 1.10 lakh per kg and used to sell it for Rs 1.35 lakh per kg. They used to get supplies ranging from 15 kg to 30 kg and used to keep it at their rented room in Bachittar Nagar locality of Ludhiana and supplied as per demand.A case under narcotics drugs and psychotropic substances (NDPS) Act has been registered against the duo, said the IG.

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