Two held with 5kg heroin smuggled from Pakistan

ACCUSED ARRESTED AT A CHECKPOST IN LUDHIANA; COPS SAY MONEY PAID THROUGH HAWALA ROUTE

LUDHIANA:The special task force of Ludhiana police arrested two people and recovered five kilogram of heroin from their possession, on late Wednesday evening.

Police said the contraband was purchased from drug smugglers in Pakistan who were paid money through hawala.

Accused Palwinderjit Singh, 43, and Ravinder Singh Ravi, 41, were arrested from a check post at Moti Nagar area. The seized heroin is estimated to be worth approximately ₹30 crore in the international market.

The duo are reportedly close associates of infamous drug peddler Raja Kandola who is lodged in Kapurthala Jail. Palwinderjit and Ravinder had both gone to US in 1997 and 1994, respectively. They reportedly worked as truck drivers. Both of them were caught smuggling drugs and were lodged in jail there.

Palwinderjit was in prison for four years till 2009 after which he was deported. On the other hand, Ravinder was arrested in 2003 for smuggling. He was granted bail within a month, after which, he was rearrested the same year and sent to jail and was deported in 2008.

Assistant inspector general (STF) Snehdeep Sharma said the accused were in contact with Raja Kandola and used to sell the drugs his customers.

Following a tip off, a team led by STF in-charge Harbans Singh set up a check point near Moti Nagar and arrested the two.

A case under sections 22, 27A and 29-61-85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused. The duo have been sent to three-day police remand. “We are expecting to unearth more information during investigation,” Sharma said.