Bareilly police freeze Rs 3.2cr assets of alleged drug trafficker

BAREILLY: Police froze assets worth Rs 3.20 crore allegedly linked to a drug trafficking network run by Pankaj Upadhyay alias Pankaj Sharma and his son Rohit Sharma under provisions of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, officials said.

The action was taken after directions from the NDPS Act-SAFEMA court in New Delhi.Police said Pankaj, a resident of Guldiya village in Mirganj area of Bareilly district, had been involved in smack trafficking since 1999 and allegedly built an interstate narcotics network across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. Officials said he had been arrested several times and served jail terms but allegedly resumed illegal activities after securing bail on each occasion.In 2021, police said, Pankaj allegedly brought his son Rohit into the trade, after which the father-son duo expanded operations together. They face 14 criminal cases between them — 10 against Pankaj and four against Rohit — registered in Bareilly, Rampur, Moradabad, Shahjahanpur, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh under the NDPS Act, Gangster Act, Arms Act and fraud-related provisions.SP Anshika Verma said the frozen assets included four vehicles and four plots, many registered in the names of family members.

“The assets include a Mahindra Thar and an Ola scooter registered in Rohit’s name, an Activa scooter in the name of Pankaj’s daughter Ritika Sharma, a TVS Apache registered to his son Rishabh, and four plots recorded in the name of his wife,” Verma said.She added that the NDPS Act allowed authorities to freeze and attach properties suspected to have been acquired through proceeds of drug trafficking, even if they were held in the names of relatives.

“Assets acquired from illegal drug money can be attached even if they are registered in the names of family members,” Verma said.Police said Pankaj is currently lodged in jail, while Rohit remains absconding. Investigators alleged that the accused had created fear in the locality, discouraging residents from testifying against them, and said further action would continue against drug traffickers and their assets as part of a wider drive against narcotics networks. Police are also tracing other properties, bank accounts and financial links connected to the accused to determine whether more assets could be attached under NDPS provisions.