Ludhiana/New Delhi: Alleged drug syndicate leader Akshay Kumar Chhabra, a Ludhiana resident accused of running a transnational heroin trafficking network, will continue to remain lodged in Assam’s Dibrugarh Central Jail as authorities move ahead with multiple cases against him.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has opposed any move to shift Chhabra from Dibrugarh, maintaining that his continued detention there is necessary to prevent him from re-establishing contact with his criminal network. Chhabra, once known for operating a tea stall in Ludhiana, is accused of masterminding a large-scale heroin smuggling operation with links extending from Afghanistan to India.
The development comes amid the Punjab government’s implementation of the Transfer of Prisoners (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2025, which allows the transfer of undertrial prisoners and detainees under specific circumstances related to public interest, state security and law and order. Despite the new legal provisions, agencies believe Chhabra should remain in Assam due to concerns about his influence and past activities while incarcerated.
Investigators allege that Chhabra continued to direct drug operations even during previous periods of imprisonment in Punjab. Authorities registered additional criminal cases against him after recovering a mobile phone that was allegedly used to coordinate narcotics activities from inside Ludhiana Central Jail.
According to investigators, Chhabra’s network smuggled heroin from Afghanistan into India by concealing the contraband inside hundreds of imported tomato sauce cans and juice bottles arriving from Iran. He was arrested in November 2022 at Jaipur International Airport while reportedly attempting to leave the country for Sharjah.
A three-member advisory board operating under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act had earlier ordered the detention of Chhabra and two of his associates, Jaspal Singh alias Goldy and Balwinder Singh alias Billa Havellian, in Dibrugarh Jail. The case is linked to an extensive heroin trafficking network spanning Punjab, Gujarat’s Mundra Port, Jammu and Kashmir, and Afghanistan.
Goldy, who allegedly designed hidden compartments in furniture for concealing narcotics, remains incarcerated alongside Chhabra. Investigators believe keeping the accused away from Punjab is crucial to dismantling the network and preventing further criminal activity.
Sources said the NCB is expected to seek court approvals to facilitate Chhabra’s participation in ongoing legal proceedings through virtual hearings, allowing him to appear before courts via video conferencing while remaining in Dibrugarh Jail.
