Talking to newsmen here today, SAS Nagar Superintendent of Police B. S. Randhawa said that during a random check last evening by a police party in Phase IX of the township, accused Tej Pal Singh, a resident of Mohali village, was found moving suspiciously near the petrol pump. When questioned about his movements, he tried to escape, but was nabbed.

During an on-the-spot search, in the presence of the SP and naib tehsildar Rupinder Singh Ball, a bag containing 1.5 kg of smack was recovered from his possession, worth Rs 1.5 crore in the international market, the police said.

A case have been registered against him under Sections 21, 61 and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and further investigations are on.

During questioning, the police claimed, the accused admitted that he had come in contact with the kingpin Swami Patander Dev, who lives in Shastri Nagar in Kullu. Earlier, the swami had a dera near Beas in Punjab. The accused said that he came in contact with the swami about six months ago when he had to take possession of the HIG flat in Sector 70, the police added. ``I typed all his documents relating to the possession of the house,'' the accused admitted before the police.

The police further claimed that he also admitted during the questioning that he, along with the swami, visited Shamgarh in Madhya Pradesh, from where they bought smack. They came back to Ludhiana on May 18 and the swami left for Kullu with the instructions to sell the drug and report to him on the phone, the accused revealed to the police. ``Till date, the accused has sold 40 grams of smack and has collected a sum of Rs 8,000,'' the police said.

The police claimed that this was the biggest recovery of drugs till date from the township. Police parties will soon be despatched to Kullu and other places for further investigation and arrests, said Randhawa.