Juvenile among 3 held, 6.5 kg heroin, pistol recovered

Batala: The police here on Saturday claimed to have busted a cross-border drug and illegal weapon smuggling racket, arresting three accused persons, including a juvenile, and recovering 6.5 kg of heroin.The police also recovered a .30 calibre pistol along with six live cartridges, and Rs 1 lakh drug money, said senior superintendent of police Mehtab Singh.Those arrested have been identified as Nishan Singh, a resident of Mulianwal in Batala; Ravipal Singh, a resident of Raipur; and one juvenile. Apart from recovering the contraband and drug money, the police teams also impounded a Toyota Fortuner vehicle used by the traffickers.In the recent past, the police arrested Vansh and Sukhchain alias Jashan, in connection with an extortion-related firing incident and recovered two .30 bore pistols from their possession, said the SSP.The incident was reported under the jurisdiction of Civil Lines police station in Batala on March 30.Mehtab Singh said the significant recovery of drugs and weapons highlighted the strong nexus between extortion, drug trafficking and illegal arms networks. Preliminary investigation has revealed that weapons were being supplied to operatives within the network, he added.The SSP said the probe revealed that the arrested accused persons were acting on the directions of their foreign-based handler. Further investigation is underway in the case to dismantle the entire network, he said.Mehtab Singh further said during the investigation, Vansh and Sukhchain disclosed that they had received weapons from suspects — a juvenile and another man, identified as Ravipal.Acting on their disclosures, police teams arrested Ravipal Singh and his juvenile accomplice, who confessed to coordinating the smuggling of weapons and drugs. Ravipal revealed that he had delivered a consignment to Nishan Singh on the directions of their overseas handler, said the SSP.Acting on the lead, police teams intercepted Nishan Singh's vehicle near Kamla Devi Avenue in Amritsar and arrested him. The police also recovered 6.5 kg of heroin, one .30 calibre pistol along with six live rounds, and Rs 1 lakh drug money from his possession, said Mehtab Singh.A case under Sections 109 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act has already been registered against the accused at Civil Lines police station in Batala, he added.MSID:: 130193174 413 |