E-Paper
Punjab: Drug smuggler caught after encounter in Moga
2-kg heroin, pistol and ammunition recovered from smuggler Gagandeep Singh, who faces charges of murder, too
The Jalandhar Rural police have arrested drug smuggler Gagandeep Singh with 2-kg of heroin and a pistol.
Addressing a press conference in Jalandhar on Thursday, senior superintendent of police (SSP) Swarandeep Singh said Gagandeep, who already faces charges of murder and smuggling narcotics besides cases under the Arms Act, was arrested after an encounter in Moga.
Also read: Drone intrusions along Pakistan border pose fresh challenge for security agencies
The operation to arrest him was launched after deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Jatinder Singh got a tip-off about Gagandeep being active in Moga from his accomplice Gurdeep Singh, arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act on October 16.
“Gurdeep was supposed to get heroin from Gagandeep, who was also involved in the same case. Acting on this, inspector Surinder Singh along with his team reached Moga. As soon as they raided his location, Gagandeep and his aide opened fire on the police. Constable Mandeep Singh suffered a bullet injury. Gagandeep was caught with 2-kg of heroin and a.30-mm pistol, but his aide escaped, the SSP said.
Gagandeep admitted that he had met drug smugglers when he was in jail in a murder case. “After coming out, he started smuggling heroin. He confessed that he was involved in cross-border smuggling and was supposed to get heroin from smugglers in Pakistan through drones in the border areas of Tarn Taran,” the SSP said.
During the press conference, SSP Swarandeep Singh also said that the crime branch of Jalandhar rural police arrested two accused with five country-made pistols. “ASI Balwinder Singh acted on a tip-off and arrested two residents of Bihar, Vijay Ram and Ajay Ram, with five country-made pistols and 10 magazines. They were supplying weapons to gangsters on the orders of Mukesh Kumar, who is lodged in the Amritsar jail. A case was registered under the Arms Act at Maqsudan police station,” the SSP said.
