Cross-border smuggling network busted, 7 nabbed; Portugal-based handler identified
Heroin, two pistols, Rs 2L drug money seized; Links found in K’thala, Ludhiana jails
Achieving a major success in dismantling the cross-border smuggling network, the Khanna police have arrested seven drug peddlers and recovered 195 gm of heroin, Rs 2 lakh drug money and two illegal .30 bore pistols from the suspects in the past few days. The arrests became possible with the sustained investigation into links of two peddlers arrested in the first week of this month from whom the police had then recovered a big haul of 4.20 kg of heroin.
The police investigation also exposed a Portugual-based handler who has been managing the cross border delivery of heroin and then further transporting the same through his network to the clients. The handler, a native of Punjab, was earlier lodged in a Faridkot jail, and later fled the country.
Even a criminal lodged in the Ludhiana jail has also been managing the smuggling network through mobile phone. A known gangster, Vicky Marado, was also found to be member of this smuggling network, who was operating the same from Kapurthala jail.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Khanna, Darpan Ahluwalia, while addressing a press conference on Thursday stated that on January 6 during a naka, Angrej Singh of Kiri Botal, Tarn Taran, and Jashanpreet Singh of Bhairupa village in Bathinda were arrested along with a car. During the search of the vehicle, 4.20 kg of heroin was recovered.
Both suspects used to get only Rs 20,000 commission for every one kg of delivery of heroin.
During investigation and interrogation of the suspects, it came to light that for a considerable period of time they had been receiving heroin in large quantities from Harshdeep Singh, a resident of Diwala village, Samrala, and Prabhjot Singh of Katani Kalan village here. Accordingly, they were nominated in the present case and arrested on January 9. Further interrogation of the suspects led to the nomination of the other persons, including Manpreet Chaudhary, alias Bhima, of Doraha, Prabhjot Singh of Machhiwara, Anmol Singh, alias Akash, of Katani Kalan village, Gurtej Singh, alias Guri, of the Kharar road, Mohali, Sunny of Amloh, Love, alias Kalu, of Jagraon, Sranjeet Singh, Arshdeep Singh of Kapurthala, Sunil Kumar, alias Bachi, of Samrala, Amrik Singh, alias Vicky Marado, of Ludhiana, Kuwarveer Singh of Salem Tabri, Ludhiana, Akashdeep Katani Kalan, Parmveer Singh of Samrala, Arshdeep Singh of Kapurthala and Sunny of Amloh.
Dr Ahluwalia said later, Sunil Kumar and Gurtej Singh were arrested and their questioning led to the recovery of two pistols along with magazines, 95 gm of heroin and ?2 lakh drug money. Manpreet Chaudhary was also arrested on January 21 and 100 gm of heroin was recovered from his possession. Kunwarveer, Prabhjot, Amrik and Harshdeep were also arrested. Now, further in-depth interrogation of the seven suspects was on and more important disclosures were expected.
Since the Portugal-based handler was found behind the network, who basically belongs to Punjab, the police would start legal proceedings against him as per law, she said.
The SSP said the network had links in the Ludhiana Central Jail from where Sunil Kumar had been actively running the smuggling racket. The police even recovered a mobile being used by Sunil from jail to strike drug deals. Forensic examination of the mobile was on and more links of the cross border network can be exposed. Among the nabbed suspects, gangster Vicky Marado, a known gangster, has been facing 26 criminal cases of attempt to murder, extortion, Arms Act, NDPS Act and robbery. He was also arrested in a cross-border drug smuggling case by bringing him on production warrant from the Kapurthala jail after his links were found in the case.
