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Heroin stashed in locker: Sri Lankan gets 30 yrs RI
A Sri Lankan national, who was arrested in connection with the seizure of heroin that was hidden in his bank locker, was awarded 30 years’ rigorous imprisonment and Rs 3 lakhs fine, on Monday. The sentence given by principal special judge K Ayyappan for Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act cases is only the second instance where a convict has been awarded a 30-year prison term.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
The man, M Ashok Kumar (52), is currently already undergoing a 11-year prison term in connection with his involvement in a previous seizure of heroin. With this, he would now have to remain in prison for 41 years for both the cases together.
Ashok Kumar, hailing from Rudhayapuram in Mattikulam, Sri Lanka, was staying at Tiruvanmiyur in Chennai at the time of arrest in 2009. On January 23 that year, a team of officers from the Narcotics Control Bureau from Chennai arrested him in connection with the with the seizure of 44.8 kg of heroin in Kancheepuram district on May 18, 2002.
At the time of seizure in Kancheepuram, more than half dozen of his associates were arrested. But Ashok Kumar managed dodge the investigators for seven years before he was arrested in 2009. In that case, he was convicted for 11 years rigorous Imprisonment.
During the course of financial investigation, the NCB team seized another 1.14 kg of heroin from the bank locker used by him in February 2009. The imprisonment awarded by the court on Monday is in connected to this seizure.
Terming him as a repeat offender, the judge sentenced him for 30 years RI with Rs 3 lakh fine. Bruno A, Zonal Director, NCB, noted this as a landmark judgment. “Before this judgment, an NDPS suspect was sentenced for 30 years’ imprisonment only once,” he noted.
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