PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 14

In a major embarrassment for the Punjab Police, a notorious criminal, Jaskaran Singh, wanted in many criminal cases, including a gang war in Goindwal Sahib (Tarn Taran) that left four persons dead in August 2018, has managed to slip out of the country and is now running a high-profile drug racket from foreign shores.

This came to light during the interrogation of Jaskaran’s cousin Lovepreet Singh, a resident of Lohar village, who was nabbed by the counterintelligence wing of the

Punjab Police from Tarn Taran with 1kg ICE (crystal methamphetamine) valued at Rs 15 crore in the international market.

This is perhaps for the first time that ICE has been confiscated in the region. An expensive party drug, it is consumed by high-profile consumers in metro cities. The investigations carried out so far revealed that the contraband was routed via Sialkot in Pakistan to Jammu and Kashmir.

Inderdeep Singh, investigating officer (IO), said Lovepreet was arrested on Friday late evening. He was currently in the police remand. He had brought the ICE from an unknown person in Samba, Jammu and Kashmir. It was to be delivered at Delhi.

“During interrogation, the accused had confessed to making three rounds to Jammu for bringing consignment of ICE Jaskaran’s directions. Though he has not got any money till now, Jaskaran had promised Lovepreet Rs 50,000 per round for smuggling drugs,” he said.

Questions are being raised as to how Jaskaran managed to slip away from the country even as he had several criminal cases against his name. According to the police, he is currently in Australia and allegedly running a high-profile drug racket from there.