Mohali: Drug inspector aiding smuggling held,

The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) on Friday arrested drug inspector Shishan Mittal from Mohali’s Aerocity for allegedly facilitating smuggling of drugs.
A total of ₹1.49 crore in cash, 260 gm gold and 515 UAE dirhams were recovered from him.
ANTF has also identified substantial assets, including flats valued at ₹2 crore in Zirakpur and a ₹40-lakh plot in Dabwali, acquired through the proceeds of illegal activities.
“Punjab Police’s ANTF has arrested drug inspector Shishan Mittal for his involvement in facilitating drug smuggling operations connected to illegal pharmaceuticals, medical stores and laundering the drug money in benami accounts in names of his relatives,” said Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
The development came about a month after Punjab Police froze 24 bank accounts — with total amount reaching to ₹7.09 crore — linked to the accused drug inspector, besides seizing huge cash and foreign currency during series of coordinated raids conducted at different locations in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. In addition to this, two bank lockers were also seized.
DGP Yadav said through a combination of advanced technical surveillance and human intelligence, police teams from ANTF, headed by special DGP Kuldeep Singh, apprehended Mittal.
He said preliminary investigation suggested that the accused drug inspector had been regularly in touch with drug smugglers lodged inside jail and facilitated their drug network outside. Probe also found that the accused drug inspector was travelling to foreign countries frequently without taking permission from the government or availing of ex-India leave, he added.
Pertinently, in a notable judicial development, Mittal’s anticipatory bail application was recently rejected by a sessions court, further underscoring the severity of the charges against him.
A case had already been registered under Section 29 (abetment and criminal conspiracy) and 59 (failure of officer in duty or his connivance at the contravention of the provisions of this Act) of the NDPS Act and Section 111 (organised crime) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in this regard.