Representational image. (Thinkstock)
A differently-abled man, who had booked a parcel to Spain through a courier company in which heroin was concealed in the heels of various footwear, has been sentenced to 10 years jail term by a Delhi court.
Special judge Deepak Garg convicted 32-year-old Sandeep Kumar, a resident of Jalandhar in Punjab, under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
"... Prosecution has been able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that it was accused Sandeep Kumar who had booked the parcel in question which was recovered by the investigating agency on March 30, 2010 from the office of M/s Aramex India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi which was found containing 460 gm of heroin and it was bound for Spain...," the court said.
Besides the jail term, the court also imposed a fine of Rs two lakh on the convict and said he attempted to export the contraband out of India.
According to Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN), on March 30, 2010, it received information from CBN's Gwalior office that one parcel containing heroin was lying in the office of a courier company at Mahipalpur extension in New Delhi.
It said that during the investigation, it was found that Mr Kumar was the sender while receiver's name mentioned in the parcel was Louis Galo of Barcelona.
The agency said the parcel was opened and it was found containing shoes after which its soles and heels were cut and small packets containing heroin were recovered.
It said 48 packets were recovered from the soles of shoes and it was found containing 460 grams heroin.
The prosecution said that on April 12, 2010, it received an information that Sandeep was apprehended by Punjab Police after which a CBN team reached there and arrested him.
During the adjudication of case, charges under provisions of the NDPS Act were framed against Sandeep on the allegation that he had booked the parcel from Ludhiana to Spain and had attempted to export heroin.
During the trial, Sandeep denied the allegations levelled against him and said he was falsely implicated in the case by the CBN at the behest of Punjab Police officials.