Lucknow court sentences three to 10 years of imprisonment for drug trafficking

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Lucknow, Oct 16 (IANS) A court in Lucknow has convicted three accused in a case involving the seizure of 500 grams of the drug ‘Alprazolam’, sentenced them to 10 years of imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs one lakh on each, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) said on Friday.

The trio were arrested by the NCB’s Lucknow Zonal Unit.

Alprazolam is most commonly prescribed in the management of anxiety disorders, especially panic disorder and generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).

The convicts, sentenced by the Lucknow court on Thursday, have been identified as Mohd. Raj, Mohammad Shafeek and Jangli alias Haseen. All of them are residents of Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh.

An official statement said that on November 16 2022, the NCB Lucknow, acting on specific intelligence, intercepted Mohd. Raj near the city’s Bhaisa Kund, Baikunth Dham, shortly after he had alighted from a bus.

A search led to the recovery of 500 grams of Alprazolam from a bag carried by him.

Subsequent investigation revealed that the contraband had originated from Mathura and was being transported to Barabanki through Lucknow. NCB established the involvement of Shafeek as the intended receiver and Jangli alias Haseen as a co-receiver, thereby uncovering the roles of multiple persons in the drug supply chain.

During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence establishing the involvement of the three accused and emphasised the seriousness of trafficking in commercial quantities of psychotropic substances. After examining the evidence, the court convicted all three accused, awarding 10 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh each.

Moreover, the court also found that the seized contraband was intended for sale. The conviction underscores the importance of intelligence-led operations, sustained investigation and effective prosecution in bringing drug traffickers to justice.

Recognising the organised nature of drug trafficking, the NCB said it remains committed to dismantling drug trafficking networks, identifying persons involved at different stages of the supply chain and ensuring that offenders face legal consequences.

Further, the federal agency has appealed to citizens to report information relating to drug trafficking through the MANAS National Narcotics Helpline at 1933 (toll-free). NCB has said that the identity of informers is kept strictly confidential in such cases.

–IANS

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