Noida: Two drug peddlers nabbed after encounter, 120 kg marijuana seized

According to police officers, they had received a tip-off, after which the suspects were intercepted on Sunday afternoon near a drain in Sector 29. They were travelling in a Tata Zest car and when they were asked to stop, they allegedly tried to flee and fired at the police team chasing them.

The police on Sunday afternoon nabbed two suspects and seized 120 kilograms of marijuana worth nearly ₹12 lakh that was allegedly being smuggled from Orissa for distribution in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The suspects were identified as Ravi Singh and Chandan Kumar, both residents of Noida’s JJ colony. (HT Archives. Representative image)

The recovery was made following an encounter between the Sector 20 police and the two suspects in which the latter were injured.

According to police officers, they had received a tip-off, after which the suspects were intercepted on Sunday afternoon near a drain in Sector 29. They were travelling in a Tata Zest car and when they were asked to stop, they allegedly tried to flee and fired at the police team chasing them. In the retaliatory firing, the two suspects were injured, said the police. They were taken to the district hospital for treatment. The vehicle was seized and police found 120 kg marijuana along with two countrymade pistols and live cartridges.

The suspects were identified as Ravi Singh and Chandan Kumar, both residents of Noida’s JJ colony.

“They were bringing the drugs from Odisha for distribution in NCR,” said RK Singh, station house officer, Sector 20 police station.

Police said that Ravi has at least 11 cases registered against him at the Sector 20 police station of robbery, attempt to murder, Arms Act and Gangster Act, along with the NDPS Act, and Chandan has served time in prison in connected to a drug smuggling case from Odisha. Police said Chandan’s criminal history is being verified.

A police officer, asking not to be named, added that the vehicle which was recovered was registered in the name of a woman named Hema, an alleged drug smuggler who had gone to prison in 2019 from the Sector 20 police station for allegedly running a large and sophisticated narcotics operation in Noida.

“Ravi is her brother and he had also gone to prison when the gang was busted,” said the officer quoted above.

The suspects were booked under the Arms and NDPS acts.