CBI red corner notices out for 11 NRIs in Rs 6000-cr drug scam

CHANDIGARH: Almost two years after Punjab Police unearthed the Rs 6,000-crore synthetic drug scam, the CBI has issued red corner notices against 11 Punjabi NRIs wanted for their involvement in the case. The scam had triggered a political furore and probe by Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The names were submitted to the CBI by Punjab Police over a period of two months. These names had emerged after police nabbed former wrestler and cop Jagdish Bhola on November 11, 2013.The list includes names of Paramjit Singh alias Pindi and Amaninder Laddi Chhina, two of the three Canada-based NRIs, who were allegedly the key conduits among several top politicians of Punjab.
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Pindi is referred in the list as Paramjit Singh Deo. The list, however, does not include the name of Satpreet Satta, who is also wanted by the ED and is a proclaimed offender in the FIR (No. 56) registered in Patiala during the tenure of then senior superintendent of police (SSP) Hardial Singh Mann.
"We do not have the address for Satta as of now," said a senior cop at Punjab Police headquarters.
Two Amritsar-based businessmen, including hotelier Bittu Aulakh, who is in jail, and pharmaceutical firm owner Jagjit Chahal, who is out on bail, had, in their confessional statements before the ED, alleged that Satta had links with politicians in Punjab.
Also, according to the CBI, the Interpol had arrested one Amardeep Kooner in the United States on September 11. Kooner, who belongs to Adampur town of Punjab's Jalandhar district, will be the first NRI to be deported to India in this case. The entire investigation of the case is being monitored by Punjab and Haryana high court.
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A request to deport him was sent by Punjab's bureau of investigation wing through the state's additional chief secretary (home) to Union home ministry and ministry of external affairs. His deportation and subsequent interrogation is expected to throw light on export of the drug ICE to Canada, Europe, Australia, and the United States.
Earlier, Patiala police had arrested one Sukhraj Singh Kang, an NRI from Canada, at Indira Gandhi international airport in New Delhi on August 26 in the same case.
Wanted list
Harbans Singh Sidhu
Gursewak Singh Dhillon
Amardeep Singh Kooner
Ranjit Singh Aujla
Pardeep Singh Dhaliwal
Lehmber Singh Daleh
Sarabjit Singh Sander
Nirankar Singh Dhillon
Amarinder Singh Chhina
Parminder Singh Deo