Extradited from Thailand, drug cartel kingpin sent to special task force custody
LUDHIANA : Harminder Singh Randhawa, alias Romi Randhawa, the kingpin of an international drug cartel who was extradited from Thailand nearly three months ago, was sent into the custody of the Punjab Police’s special task force (STF) for four days by a Ludhiana court on Saturday.
Romi was in judicial custody since his extradition as he had tested positive for the coronavirus at the time.
Romi’s accomplices — former Rano village (Ludhiana district) sarpanch Gurdeep Singh Rano, Manjit Singh Manna, a drug smuggler, Ravej Singh and Randeep Singh — were arrested by the STF last year.
The STF have recovered 31.418 kg heroin, 6 kg ice drug, 2kg narcotic powder, Rs 25 lakh drug money, four cars and a scooter from the accused.
Inspector Harbans Singh, STF incharge (Ludhiana), said one of the main accused in the drug cartel case, Tanvir Bedi, is hiding in Australia. “The process is already on for his extradition. A lookout circular has been issued against him. We are trying to get a red-corner notice issued against him,’ he added.
“We will bring Manjit Singh Manna, who is lodged in an Amritsar jail, on production warrant for questioning,” said an STF official.
The STF had arrested Manna of Jodhewal with 18kg heroin and 6kg ice drug on November 1, 2020. At his instance, Vishal, alias Vishu and Angrej Singh of Batala in Gurdaspur were nabbed two days later with 10kg heroin.
On November 7 last year, the STF recovered another 3kg heroin, 2kg narcotic powder and other chemicals used for refining heroin from Rajpura on the information provided by the accused.
Three days later (November 10), Gurdeep Singh Rano, Ravej, Iqbal Singh and Randeep Singh were arrested with 5.3kg heroin, illegal weapons, Rs 21lakh in drug money and a fleet of 8 luxury cars. A separate case was lodged against the accused.
On December 13, the task force arrested Ravi Singh, alias Happy Randhawa of Batala and recovered 418 gm heroin from a car parked in a house belonging to Rano.