On extortion case trail, Jalandhar police nab absconder in Rs 20K crore drug haul

Jalandhar, July 6

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On the trail of an extortion gang, the Jalandhar rural police have arrested a high-profile absconding criminal, Jobanjeet Singh, who was wanted in two separate heroin consignment cases — a 2,988 kg heroin haul (valued at over Rs 20,000 crore) seized at Gujarat’s Mundra port in 2021 and a 200 kg heroin haul in 2022.

Jobanjeet, alias Joban, a resident of Jandiala, Amritsar, is among the three persons who were held for an extortion bid of Rs 50 lakh from a Nakodar resident. The two other accused have been identified as Harjinder Singh, alias Jinder, a resident of Dharmiwal village in Shahkot, and Kulwinder Singh, alias Kaka, a resident of Lohian in Jalandhar.

A .32 bore pistol and five live rounds were also recovered from Jobanjeet. The police have revealed that the accused have links with gangsters in England and other countries. Jobanjeet, who had been lodged at a Kutch jail in an old case gave the Gujarat Police the slip in February this year in Amritsar when he was being taken back after a hearing.

Jalandhar SSP Dr Ankur Gupta said on June 29, a complaint was registered by Manpreet Singh, a resident of Dhadda Haripur village at Nakodar, that he was getting extortion calls from abroad with a demand for Rs 50 lakh. A case was registered under Sections 386, 506 of the IPC at the Sadar Nakodar police station on June 30. Six persons were booked; three of them were arrested. Teams formed under SSP Jalandhar rural traced accused Harjinder Singh.

During investigation, Jinder revealed that an England-based duo — Jagdeep Singh, alias Jagga, and Gala, both Kapurthala natives — had demanded Rs 50 lakh from complainant Manpreet after his details were provided to them by Amrik Singh, alias Mika, a resident of Lohian in Jalandhar. Based on this information, Amrik, Jagga and Gala’s names were also nominated in the FIR.

On Jinder’s revelation, the police arrested Jobanjeet and Kulwinder, alias Kaka. The police said the arrested trio had planned to shoot Manpreet if he failed to pay the amount.