Sikkim, Dec 18: A drug bust worth Rs 14 lakh has revealed the alleged role of a sub-inspector of Sikkim Police who was acting as a facilitator in bringing the drugs to the state.
The ASI, along with four other peddlers, are suspected to be major players in the Sikkim drug market. The contraband consignment included 23,184 Spasmo Provoxyin capsules, 576 files of the same drug, and 100 files of N10 capsules amounting to over 2,000 capsules.
Apart from pharmaceutical drugs, 52 gm of brown sugar and 457 bottles of cough syrup were also apprehended by the Sikkim Police.
Sikkim Police vide a press conference led by DIG Range and spokesperson Prawin Gurung along with Superintendent of Police for East District Siva Prasad Yellasiri informed that ‘this was the biggest drug bust in the State so far.’
The drug consignment, being brought in red Wagon R the taxi was initially intercepted at Rangpo Check Post and later caught at Samdong, East Sikkim.
The police also recovered 3,684 loose capsules, 380 N10 capsules, and 21.24 gms of brown sugar along with Rs. 1.30 lakh in cash from a residential complex in Samdong village, which was acting as a store for all the consignment.
Gurung stated, “The consignment being brought along with the peddlers were being tracked for days. We knew when they left Siliguri with the consignment at 4:30 am on December 17, later they reached Rangpo check post around 7:30 am, but we were able to intercept only an hour later at Topa Khani further inward along the NH 10 heading towards Gangtok. The five paddlers, including the Sikkim Police official, will be presented in the Court. The Police officer will be booked under criminal proceedings along with a departmental inquiry on his conduct.”
Sikkim Police maintained that the accused police officer misused his power and his uniform to work as a facilitator to bring drug consignment into the State.
“There have been a few cases in the past as well when Police officers have been involved in drug trafficking, but we feel this incident doesn’t lay precedence. There is a presence of officers taking drugs in the department and that is a known fact, but they are part of the same society hampered by the drug menace. We do not feel there is a big racket inside the department but just a few who are working as peddlers in such a manner along with their personal drug abuse-related problems. The officer in the recent bust was caught red-handed in his uniform in the vehicle with the drugs.“
