: Having rescued an uncle-nephew duo who were allegedly kidnapped in the Capital, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has claimed to have unearthed an inter-State drug trafficking network.
The victims have been identified as Lalneisung (42) from Meghalaya and C. Zosangliana alias William from Mizoram.
Deal gone wrong?
The police said the two were drug dealers, and the accused had kidnapped them to avenge a “deal” where wheat flour was sold off as pseudoephedrine, a raw material for many recreational drugs, for Rs. 30 lakh. The compensation demanded was in the form of ransom, a part of which was paid by the victims’ families, said the police.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav said the kidnapping case was first registered in Shillong and later the local police approached them.
“On September 23, Lalneisung’s wife Dorothy told the police that her husband had gone to Delhi in the first week of September. On September 21, she was informed through William’s wife Jessica that the duo had been kidnapped by unidentified persons, who were asking for Rs. 15 lakh as ransom,” said Mr. Yadav.
The victims were rescued when a police team, based on a tip-off, raided a house near the Main Anand Vihar Bus Terminal Road, Patparganj Industrial Area, on September 25.
Both were found with broken arms, suggesting that they had been beaten up.. Two alleged kidnappers— Sunil Kumar Thapa (34 ) and Mohammad Ali (32 )— were arrested during the raid.
“When we started probing Lalneisung and William, we found that it was not a simple kidnapping case,” said Mr. Yadav.
Lured with money
He said the victims worked for one Ashish alias Ashwin, who is in the business of supplying pseudoephedrine. He had entrusted them with bringing customers in exchange for high amount of money as commission.
“In that pursuit, William approached Thapa who was known to him. Thapa is known to one Ghani Bhai alias Meera, a Chennai resident who agreed to buy the chemical. A few meetings followed, in which the two buyers were joined by one Johny from Andhra Pradesh, and a deal was finalised as per which on September 20, the victims along with Ashish and Ghani Bhai met Sunil Thapa and Mohd. Ali somewhere in Moradabad for the delivery of the drug,” said Mr. Yadav.
At the spot, Rs. 30 lakh was paid by Meera to Ashwin.
On the sly
“After taking the money, Ashwin Colonel disappeared. However, when Meera realised that the chemical was fake, he went after Lalneisung and William,” said Mr. Yadav.
“William’s driver Rocky was also kept in confinement till September 24. The three were kept in some places of Moradabad and in a hotel in Agra,” said Mr. Yadav.
