Mumbai, Sept. 19: A Rashtriya Rifles jawan involved in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir has been caught peddling drugs in Mumbai during a sting operation.

Sepoy Diptesh Pradeep Khataukar was arrested on August 18 with 5 gm of heroin after being tricked into supplying drugs to a police decoy in the Sher-e-Punjab area of Mumbai’s Jogeshwari (east) suburb.

The 24-year-old, on deputation with the RR regiment in Poonch, had taken 45 days’ leave starting August 10. He has said he took to drug peddling as his salary of Rs 8,000 was too little to make ends meet.

Investigating officer Prakash Thete said the police were tipped off by a local informer, who was made to pose as a buyer. “At first, we did not know Khataukar was a soldier. It came out during interrogation. He said he did not want to serve in J&K. We found 5 gm of heroin on him. He said he got lured into this as his pay as a sepoy is not adequate.”

Khataukar has been charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, after his regiment gave investigators the go-ahead to proceed against him. He will be tried by civilian courts.

Originally attached to the 501 Air Defence Artillery Regiment stationed in Mathura, Khataukar told interrogators he was introduced to drug peddling by a colleague, Kalika Prasad, as a means of making quick money.

“Their intention was to procure drugs from Mathura and sell in Mumbai. Khataukar said he and Prasad wanted to quit the army,” Thete said.

Prasad, too, was arrested after Mumbai police tipped off his Mathura regiment. He will be tried under the Army Act.

Thete said Khataukar, now in Arthur Road jail, came from a farming family based in Govamone village of the Dapoli area of Ratnagiri district.

“Of late, Mumbai has emerged as a big destination for contraband narcotics from Columbian drug cartels. There have been massive seizures,” Narcotics Control Bureau superintendent A.P. Patil said.

“One kg of heroin fetches Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 in Afghanistan. It is worth Rs 2.5-3 lakh in Pakistan, from where it is brought to India. Indian dealers get it for Rs 4 lakh a kg, and it is resold to Africans for Rs 5 lakh in Delhi and Mumbai.”

The 5 gm Khataukar was caught with would, at the most, have fetched Rs 25,000.

Any person caught carrying heroin or having it in his house can be booked under the narcotic drugs act. Rahul Mahajan was booked earlier this year under the act.

Actor Fardeen Khan is still doing the rounds of the courts after he was caught with 1 gm of heroin.

Criminal lawyer Aadab Panda said: “The sentence under the NDPS Act is usually lenient for those held with minute quantities (less than 2 gm) but it still remains a non-bailable offence. The police do not have the right to release the person — only the courts can. If the amount is more than 2 gm, it is regarded as drug peddling.”