Sikkim, Dec 19: An officer of the Sikkim Police was arrested along with four other persons in one of the biggest drug hauls in the state, officials said on Saturday. A consignment, worth around Rs 10-14 lakh, was seized in the raid at Samdong in the East Sikkim district on Thursday, Deputy Inspector General Pravin Gurung said.
The consignment had 23,184 spasmo provoxyin capsules along with 576 files of it, and 100 files of N10 capsules, besides 52 gm of brown sugar and 457 bottles of cough syrup, he said. Among those arrested is an assistant sub-inspector of the Sikkim Police, he added. It is suspected that he used to work as a facilitator in bringing the drug to Sikkim, police said.
The drugs were being brought in a taxi, which was first intercepted at Rangpo check-post and then stopped at Topakhani on the National Highway-10, police said. Police arrested them at Samdong where 3,684 loose capsules, 380 N10 capsules, and 21.24 gm of brown sugar along with Rs 1.30 lakh in cash was seized from a house, the official said. The house was being used as a storeroom for the drugs, he said. The consignment was being tracked for a few days, the DIG said.
A case has been filed against the five arrested and a departmental inquiry has also been started against the policeman, he said. “There have been a few cases in the past when police officers have been involved in drug trafficking but this case is far more serious as he was caught red-handed in uniform,” the DIG said.