Paris, Jul 30: Reigning bronze medallist India beat Ireland 2-0 to consolidate their position in the tough Pool B of the men's hockey competition at the Paris Olympics here on Tuesday.

Skipper Harmanpreet Singh (11th, 19th minutes) scored a brace for India, converting a penalty stroke and then a penalty corner to hand his side the crucial win.

India had earlier defeated New Zealand 3-2 in their opener before securing a 1-1 draw against Argentina.

Unlike the last two games, India started on the offensive against Ireland and secured their first penalty corner in the second minute but Harmanpreet failed to beat the first rusher.

But India took the lead in the 11th minute when Harmanpreet converted a penalty stroke.

Gurjant Singh made a fine interception in the midfield and then linked up with Mandeep Singh to enter the circle where the Irish defence committed a foul, resulting in the stroke.

India secured back-to-back penalty corners in the 19th minute, and Harmanpreet was on target with the second chance.

India will next play reigning Olympic champions Belgium on Thursday before finishing their pool engagements against the mighty Australia on Friday.

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Jammu (PTI): Six persons were taken into custody during an intensified anti-narcotics crackdown, with police recovering contraband substances and over Rs 23 lakh in Doda and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Monday.

In a parallel action, properties worth over Rs 73 lakh linked to drug peddlers were also attached in Udhampur district under relevant legal provisions, the police said.

Additional Superintendent of Police, Doda, Mohd Aslam said three persons, including a woman, were detained during a raid on a house at Dak Mohalla in the main town following recovery of 85 grams of suspected brown sugar and over Rs 23 lakh on Sunday evening.

He identified the woman as Zareena Begum, stating that she had been under police surveillance following inputs indicating her involvement in drug peddling.

Besides Zareena, officials said her daughter and son-in-law were also picked up by police during the raid.

“We have taken three individuals into custody. Their roles are being examined, and based on that, arrests will be made. We are continuing raids at other suspected locations,” Aslam said.

Three drug peddlers --Pardeep Singh of Hiranagar, Rahees Butt of Billawar and Ali Sen of Amritsar (Punjab) -- were arrested along with heroin at different places in Kathua district, a police spokesman said.

He said while 2.79 gm of heroin was seized from Singh, 2.66 gm were recovered Butt. Similarly, 303 gm of heroin was seized from Sen who was intercepted near Berrian-Pattan village while moving in a private car from Bhagthali to Maggar Khad on the Jammu-Pathankot highway.

All the three were booked under the NDPS Act and further investigations are on, the spokesman said.

In Udhampur, the spokesman said properties worth Rs 73 lakh were attached in two separate cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

The attached properties included a newly constructed residential house, a car, a motorcycle and a mobile phone with a total value of Rs 65 Lakh, belonging to accused Saif Ali who was booked under the NDPS case in Majalta area early this year, he said.

In another action, movable property worth Rs 8 lakh comprising a car, belonging to accused Danish Butt of Doda has been attached under Section 68(F) NDPS Act in connection with an FIR registered at Rehambal police station, the spokesman said.