Drug supply module busted, four held with heroin
Chandigarh (PTI): Punjab Police on Sunday said it has busted a drug supply module linked to foreign-based smugglers after nabbing four people with drugs and a weapon.
The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing of the Amritsar Police recovered 4 kg of heroin, one pistol, five cartridges and Rs 3.90 lakh in cash from the men, said Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav.
Police also impounded their two two-wheelers, which they were using to deliver the consignments.
Yuvraj Singh, Varinder Singh, Jagroop Singh and Jugraj Singh from Amritsar have been arrested.
Yadav said police teams from CI Amritsar received reliable inputs that Yuvraj and Varinder, associates of Lakhwinder Singh alias Baba Lakha, a handler based abroad, had retrieved a heroin consignment from Ajnala sector and were expected to deliver it to suspect Jagroop Singh near gurdwara Morcha Sahib in Amritsar.
Police teams laid a trap and arrested the three men after recovering a drug consignment and pistol from their possession, he said.
During questioning, Jagroop allegedly revealed that he has been working on the directions of one Daya Singh alias Preet Sekhon, who is presently lodged at Central Jail at Sri Muktsar Sahib, and the latter directed him to receive the heroin consignment from near Gurdwara Morcha Sahib.
Yuvraj and Varinder allegedly told police about one more associate identified as Jugraj Singh, who was also apprehended from Amritsar city and Rs 3.90 lakh of "drug money" was recovered from his possession. Further investigations are ongoing, the DGP added.
A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Arms Act has been registered in Amritsar.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
