Chandigarh, May 9 -- In a temporary setback to a crackdown on narcotics, Chandigarh Police's plan to relocate two habitual drug offenders to Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act has been halted due to a reported shortage of space at the facility.

The move involved relocating 64-year-old Bala from Sector 38-A, and Deepak Mittal, alias Vicky. Both have a long history of being involved in drug trafficking. The police had secured necessary approvals from the Union ministry of finance's SAFEMA (Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators Act) division to detain the duo under the PITNDPS Act.

However, officials confirmed on Thursday that Dibrugarh C...