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Notorious woman peddler Rano, facing 17 criminal cases, among 3 held
The Jalandhar rural police and the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) have arrested three notorious drug smugglers, including infamous woman peddler Rano Devi, who is wanted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and is also a proclaimed offender, officials said on Thursday.
The Jalandhar rural police and the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) have arrested three notorious drug smugglers, including infamous woman peddler Rano Devi, who is wanted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and is also a proclaimed offender, officials said on Thursday.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Rano, a resident of Patti Takhar Shankar, Police Station, Sadar Nakodar, her daughter Baljinder Kaur, a resident of Langroa village in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district and their driver, Sukhdev alias Dani. Rano is facing 17 cases under the NDPS Act registered at the various police stations of the district.
As per police officials, Rano is a key player in heroin trafficking and was wanted in a case being probed by NCB, Chandigarh.
“She received heroin from Akshay Chhabra, who delivered the drugs through his aides identified as Ajay Kumar alias Gora Grover and Sandeep Singh alias Deepu at Vishwakarma Chowk in Ludhiana. Rano was also wanted in a seizure of 20.326 kg of heroin in 2022. Additionally, Baljinder Kaur is facing non-bailable warrants and proclamation orders under Section 82 of CrPC. The special court in Ludhiana had declared Rano Devi along with two others, Surinder Kumar Kalra and Neelam Kalra, as proclaimed offenders,” the officials added. On August 17, Chhabra was detained under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act by NCB and sent to Dibrugarh jail in Assam as a step to curtail their narco-smuggling activities.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh said the operation led to the recovery of ₹1.12 lakh in cash, believed to be drug proceeds, along with gold ornaments, including a chain, locket, and two pairs of earrings.
“The vehicle, bearing registration number PB-10-FC-5511, suspected to have been used for drug smuggling, was also seized,” the SSP added.
Khakh said a case has been registered under Sections 21, 22, 61, and 85 of the NDPS Act, along with Sections 342, 411, 120-B, and 482 of the IPC at Police Station Sadar Nakodar.
“Rano has 17 criminal cases registered against her under the NDPS Act and was a key target in the police’s ongoing operations against drug syndicates. The arrested individuals will be produced before the court. Police will seek their remand to uncover their forward and backward linkages and operations across the region,” the SSP added.
Rano started by selling poppy husk and is well-connected with the drug traders. Her whole family, including her sons and daughter, were allegedly involved in the drug peddling, officials added.
