Wanted arms and drugs supplier held in Zirakpur

During preliminary questioning, accused told police that he had received many consignments of heroin from across the border and had delivered them to his conduits

Mohali

Wanted by the Border Security Force, a notorious arms and drug supplier has been arrested by the crime investigation agency of the Mohali police in Zirakpur.

Identified as Chhinderpal Singh, alias Chhindi, 39, of Abohar in Fazilka district, he was arrested during checking at a naka near Shatabgarh village on Thursday. Police also recovered a .32 bore countrymade pistol and three live cartridges kept under the driver’s seat. The SUV, a Toyota Fortuner, in which he was travelling was also impounded.

Chhinderpal was produced in court on Friday and sent to five-day police remand for further questioning.

“Chhindi is a part of the cross-border nexus of drugs and arms trade. He was absconding in drugs cases in Punjab and Rajasthan for the past two years and is wanted by the BSF,” said Kuldeep Singh Chahal, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Mohali.

A matriculate, Chhinderpal is involved in 17 criminal cases registered at various police stations in the two states.

“He has been involved in smuggling since 2012 and was arrested in Fazilka in 2015. After getting released on bail in 2016, he came in contact with a cross-border weapons smuggler,” added Chahal. Prior to smuggling, he was also involved in betting. Married thrice, he has seven children.

During preliminary questioning, Chhinderpal told police that he had received many consignments of heroin from across the border and had delivered them to his conduits. “Belonging to a border district, he is familiar with the smuggling route,” said Chahal. A case has been registered under the Arms Act.