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| 25 'poppy seed' bags imported from PoK, found stolen at Poonch | | | Bharat Bhushan
JAMMU, Nov 10: It is perhaps a case of the "guards" becoming "thieves". In June 2009, 125 odd bags of poppy seeds (khaskas) were seized by customs officials at Chakan-da-Bagh crossing point on LoC in Poonch after their import into the state from Kotli in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). At least 25 of these bags stand stolen now.
After their seizure, the bags were locked under the supervision of senior officials in a store at the Chakan-da-Bagh cross-LoC trade centre. Two months, or so back, it became known that at least 25 of them were missing.
The consignment was seized by customs officials on June 10, 2009, during unloading of goods from trucks that had come from Kotli. Police had then registered a case -- maybe the first ever to be registered in connection with the cross-LoC trade in the state.
The trade of poppy seeds is banned at the international level as these are used in the manufacture of opium.
SSP (Poonch) Ashkoor Wani said, "Yes, some poppy seed bags have been stolen from the LoC trade centre but the accused are not yet identified."
The police investigation into the case was still on, he added and hoped that the accused would be arrested soon.
Poonch police station SHO, Surinder Singh Blowria said after the theft was reported, some suspects were picked up and grilled but there was no breakthrough as yet.
Sources at the trade centre, however, claimed that the prime suspect in the theft had been identified but police were yet to name him in the FIR.
Some of those, who were entrusted with the job of protecting the seized bags from theft, were suspected to be involved in the burglary, the sources added.
Sources said someone, who had unhindred access to the store, was either involved in the theft, or knew who the culprit was.
Matloob Khan was custodian LoC trade when the consignment was seized. A K Lakhotra, who was then trade facilitating officer, had written a letter to Matloob, asking him to lodge a report with police as per the provisions of law.
According to the letter, Mohammad Amin Magrey of Poonch had applied for the release of the consignment. Magrey later told investigating agencies that he did not know what the bags contained and these belonged to Jammu-based businessman Vikram Singh. He said he only worked as his clearing agent.
Sources said the poppy seed bags had been sent to this side of the border by Kotli-based firm -- M/s Al Madeena and Co -- to Vikram at Narwal here.
This was the second time that a banned item was seized at Chakan-da-Bagh. Earlier, in the first week of June 2009, coffee weeds were imported into the state from PoK under the category of herbs.
The poppy seeds had come here under the guise of khasgandi, a herb. The import of garlic and ginger is also banned from Chakan-da-Bagh as these are non-state items. |
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