Tribune News Service
Pathankot, July 29
The Special Task Force (STF) today arrested Palwinder Singh Billa, brother of Ranjit Singh Rana, the main accused in the 532 kg heroin case. He was hiding in the almost inaccessible marshy area along the Beas in Mirthal. He was found possessing 1 kg heroin and Rs 1.02 crore in cash, which he had concealed in an adjacent tubewell. His other brother, Kuldeep Singh, booked in an NDPS case, is lodged in the Amritsar jail.
Billa was questioned on Rana’s whereabouts, said a senior officer. An FIR has been registered with the STF police station in Mohali on a complaint filed by AIG Snehdeep Sharma. STF’s Surinder Kumar, SP, and Inspector Harbans Singh headed today’s operation launched after a tip-off. “High-profile peddlers often rent or buy houses that are not approachable by road to evade attention. More arrests are likely to be made in the coming days,” said an officer, adding Billa had purchased agriculture land near the house to ward off suspicion. The recoveries were made in the presence of duty magistrate.
Interestingly, the hideout is located near Channi Beli village located on the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border that falls under the jurisdiction of the Indora police station. The area has gained notoriety for smuggling of narcotics. The police suspect Rana and his aides may have had Channi Beli as one of their transit points.
On June 30, the Customs Department had seized 532 kg of heroin at the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP). The contraband, valued at Rs 2,700 crore, was concealed in a consignment of salt that arrived from Pakistan.
from The Tribune https://ift.tt/2Yuir6q
via Today’s News Headlines
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