NRIs, Drugs and Punjab

Jalandhar, Aug. 16, 2006
Dr. Darshan Grewal

For the past few years, highly qualified unemployed youths of Punjab and NRI middle class of Canada are smuggling narcotics from here to abroad. Recently, over five cases of narcotic smuggling have been registered in various police stations of Jalandhar in which NRIs have been involved.

• NRI Jitender Singh Lakkha, a Canadian Citizen, famous kabbadi player has been booked at the Nakodar police station.
• NRI Balwant Singh Ramewal has been booked at Bilga police station
• NRIs Pavitar Singh and Raja Boparai have been booked at Nakodar police station
• NRI K S Makhhan have been booked for narcotic smuggling from India to Canada

The heroin and other narcotics of big consignments to Canada, the UK and many European countries have increased by NRIs, who are frequent visitors in Punjab

Punjab is used as a major transit point for drugs from Afghanistan to ship whole India. Due to easily availability, the consumption of drugs have increased in Punjab in the recent years with cities like Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Patiala. 40 per cent Punjabi youth in the age group of 15 years to 25 years has fallen prey to drugs and 48 per cent farmers and labourers are addicts.

India is enforcing anti-narcotics laws and recovered 200 kgs this year as compared of 14 kgs seized in the last four years.