Gangster Ashu used Instagram ID to interact with Pak suppliers from jail

The Ludhiana police on Wednesday brought gangster Ashu, lodged in a Faridkot jail, on production warrant in a cross-border drug smuggling case.

He was brought to the city after the police nabbed a drug peddler, Mukkal Mattu, of Mohalla Fatehgarh and seized 1.05 kg of heroin, two .30 bore pistols, one 9 mm Glock pistol, 21 cartridges and Rs 2.5 lakh drug money from him and a probe found Pakistan-based suppliers arranged supply of heroin and illegal weapons to Mukkal through Ashu recently.Crime Branch in-charge inspector Beant Juneja told The Tribune that during questioning of Mukkal, it was found that gangster Ashu had been using Instagram ID to interact with Mukkal and also reportedly with Pakistan-based drug and weapon suppliers. “The police have recovered the mobile of the drug peddler in which Insta ID was also found. It was used by the latter to interact with the gangster. We have brought Ashu on production warrant from the Faridkot jail and his questioning will further give details about the mobile and Insta ID used by Ashu for holding interactions with Pak suppliers and Mukkal,” he said.

Inspector Juneja said since heroin and sophisticated weapons were sent by Pakistan suppliers reportedly through a drone, the questioning of Ashu would expose the entire network he was running while lodged in the jail.

“Ashu’s aides had reportedly collected heroin and weapons from border areas after these were delivered through drones there and then they delivered the consignment to Mukkal,” he said.

A police official said as per the ongoing modus operandi of drug deals being run by Pakistan smugglers, they gift a Glock pistol whenever anyone buys one kg heroin from them. As per Mukkal, the Pakistan suppliers gifted a Glock pistol to Ashu along with the drug but he paid Rs 3 lakh for the gun and Rs 15 lakh for one kg of heroin to the gangster.