A special NDPS Court in Nadiad, Gujarat, has handed down a 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence to Jagdish Bhuriya and Dinesh Bhuriya for their involvement in smuggling over 220 kg of poppy straw across state borders in 2022. Both individuals, residents of Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh, were also fined Rs 1 lakh each under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.
The arrest took place following specific intelligence inputs, with officers from the NCB, Ahmedabad Zonal Unit, intercepting the accused at Khatraj Chokdi near Mehmedabad, Kheda, Gujarat, on December 22, 2022. Jagdish Bhuriya was driving a vehicle with registration number GJ15AD4436, while Dinesh Bhuriya was in another pickup vehicle with registration number MP13GA5796.
During the arrest, 229.960 kg of poppy straw, a banned substance under the NDPS Act, was seized from Dinesh Bhuriya’s vehicle. Subsequently, both individuals were taken into custody, and a charge sheet was filed before the District and Sessions Court at Nadiad on June 16, 2023, for violations of Sections 8(c), 15(c), and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985.
The court’s verdict on Friday resulted in Jagdish Bhuriya and Dinesh Bhuriya being sentenced to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment each, along with a fine of Rs 1 lakh, as per the NDPS Act, 1985. The NCB emphasized that this conviction underscores a strong stance against drug trafficking, ensuring justice and safeguarding communities from the harmful effects of drug abuse.
