Continuing with its crackdown on drugs trade, the Punjab Police has busted a gang of drug traffickers and smugglers with the arrest of three persons from the Indo-Pak border area in Ferozepur district.Though the main suspect, Manjit Singh @Manna s/o Jarnail Singh r/o Vill. Dhun Dhahewla, PS Chohla Sahib, a notorious smuggler, managed to escape, his associates - Gurdeep Singh s/o Jarnail Singh, Mahavir Singh @ Tota, and Sukhbir Singh @ Soni s/o Nirviar Singh, were nabbed by the Counter Intelligence (CI) unit of Ferozepur.A manhunt has been launched for Manna, reported to be a big fish in the drugs trade in the state.The single largest seizure of drugs in the state was also effected by the team, which carried out a joint operation with the Border Security Force (BSF).According to a police spokesperson, the CI team, led by Narinderpal Singh, PPS AIG/CI Ferozepur, had set up a special nakabandi on the Border Road Chowk Bus Stand on the directions of DGP-Intelligence Dinkar Gupta and IGP-Counter Intelligence Amit Parshad.The team received information that Manna and his brothers would attempt to take a large consignment of heroin and arms & ammunition near the Indo-Pak border fence in the area of Village Gatti Rajo Ke BSF BOP Satpal Pillar No. 187/11.Giving details of the operation, the spokesperson said as Pakistani smuggler Nawab, along with his associates, was throwing the consignment over the fence, BSF jawans called out to them to stop.
However, the smugglers opened fire, forcing the BSF jawans to retaliate. The Pakistani smugglers then left behind the consignment and ran away. However, the Indian smugglers who had come to receive the consignment were cornered, leading to the arrest of the three suspects.The recoveries made by the Counter Intelligence team consisted of one I-20 White Car, 22 packets of heroin, one 9mm pistol, One magazine along with 11 live cartridges and one Pak Sim card. FIR No. 335, dt. 18-11-2017, u/s 21/25/29/61/85 NDPS Act, 25/54/59/Arms Act & 66-D/66-I IT Act, PS Sadar Ferozepur, Distt. Ferozepur has been lodged and the suspects are being interrogated.Three of the accused were found to have past criminal records, said the spokesperson. Manjit Singh @ Manna had been booked in case of FICN of Rs. 50,000/-, while Mahavir Singh s/o Nirviar Singh had been booked in NDPS Case registered at PS Maqboolpura, following recovery of 15 Kg Heroin, and was sentenced to 15 years in jail. Mahavir had also been sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment in another NDPS Case registered at PS Lopo Ke Chugawan, Distt. Amritsa, following recovery of 15 Kg heroin during 2008. He was currently on 42-day parole from Modern Jail Faridkot. Sukhbir Singh s/o Nirviar Singh had been booked under NDPS Act in a case registered at PS DRI Delhi following seizure of 2 Kg Heroin in 2003.