The Ropar police on Thursday arrested five alleged drug smugglers following a brief exchange of fire near Nangal town of the district. One of the accused sustained a bullet injury during the firing and was admitted to the BBMB Hospital for treatment.
According to police sources, the accused were allegedly carrying heroin to supply it to local peddlers operating in the Nangal area. Acting on a specific intelligence input, a police team set up a naka near Naya Nangal and intercepted a suspicious white Hyundai Accent car.
SSP Ropar Maninder Singh said the police had received information that a group of drug smugglers was moving towards Nangal in a white Hyundai vehicle. Following the tip-off, a team headed by officials of the Naya Nangal police post established a checkpoint to intercept the suspects.
“When the police party signalled the vehicle to stop, the occupants attempted to flee and fired two rounds at the naka party in an effort to escape,” the SSP said. He added that the police immediately launched a chase and pursued the vehicle for nearly 10 kilometres.
During the pursuit, police personnel succeeded in stopping the vehicle. To prevent the accused from escaping and to neutralise the threat posed by the armed suspects, one round was fired from a service weapon, which struck one of the accused, identified as Lovepreet Singh, on the shoulder.
The injured accused was immediately taken into custody and shifted to the BBMB Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment. Police officials said his condition was stable.
The other accused were apprehended on the spot. Those arrested have been identified as Lovepreet Singh, a resident of Jangpura in Mohali district; Rohit, a resident of Hisar; Shubham, a resident of Jind; Parikshit, a resident of Sonepat; and Lehmastak Pratap Singh, a resident of Chandigarh. During the operation, the police recovered 150 grams of heroin, a .32-bore pistol loaded with five live cartridges, and the Hyundai Accent car used by the accused.
Preliminary investigation indicated that the accused had come to Nangal to deliver the heroin consignment to local drug peddlers. Investigators are trying to ascertain the source of the narcotics and identify the intended recipients of the consignment.
The SSP said the recovery of heroin and the firearm pointed to the organised nature of the network involved in drug trafficking. “The police are examining both backward and forward linkages of the accused to identify their suppliers, associates and local contacts. Further investigation is underway and more arrests may follow,” he said.
A case under relevant provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Arms Act has been registered. Police teams are also analysing the mobile phones and other material seized from the accused to trace the wider network behind the operation. The successful operation is a significant achievement for the Ropar police in their ongoing campaign against drug trafficking in the district, said the SSP.
