2 smugglers arrested with Rs 11crore heroin

Ludhiana: The Special Task Force (STF), Ludhiana range, on Wednesday claimed to have arrested two smugglers with 2.3kg heroin from Tarn Taran. The contraband is worth Rs 11.5 crore in international market.
The police party nabbed Gurjant Singh, 27, and his brother Dharambir Singh, 31, of Bhikhiwind village in Taran Taran district after a 20-kilometre chase.
AIG (Ludhiana range) Snehdeep Sharma said, “On a tip-off, a trap was laid in Tarn Taran on Tuesday morning. But the duo tried to escape in their car bearing Chandigarh registration number. On being chased, they hit the vehicles of the police party. They then ran into another car and a bike. After a 20-kilometre hunt, the duo jumped out of their moving car, but were nabbed. About 2.3kg heroin was found hidden in a water camper in their Maruti Suzuki Zen car (CH03F0524).”
The brothers were an important link in the drug-supply chain which started from Tarn Taran and covered several districts of Punjab, including Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Moga and Kapurthala. Gurjant and Dharambir procured heroin from a Tarn Taran smuggler, who has links with Pakistan-based smugglers. The brothers were addicts and took to drug trade two years ago, he added.
STF Ludhiana range in-charge inspector Harbans Singh said, “The two work as drivers. They drove private cars, which they used for smuggling drugs. We are on the look out for the Tarn Taran smuggler. His name has been added to the FIR.”
A case has been registered at STF police station in Mohali. The accused were produced before a Mohali court on Wednesday that sent them to three-day police remand.
26-year-old peddler held with Rs 10L drug
The STF arrested a 26-year-old man after 200 grams of heroin was found on him in Jodhewal on Tuesday.
Police said on a tip-off, a check-post was set up near Kali Sadak on GT Road, Jodhewal. “Mandeep Singh, a resident of New Azad Nagar, Basti Jodhewal, was stopped. During checking, 200g heroin, which is worth Rs 10 lakh, was found on him,” said a cop.
Mandeep started peddling drugs one-and-a-half years ago. Before that, he worked as a cellphone repair mechanic.
The STF officials said Mandeep knew Gurjant and Dharambir and procured heroin from the same Tarn Taran smuggler.
Mandeep was produced before a Ludhiana court that sent him to one-day police remand.
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