In a major success against Pakistan-sponsored narco-terrorism networks in the country, the Punjab Police on Saturday arrested Ranjeet Singh @ Rana @ Cheeta, a drug peddler in the ISI-controlled network, with links to Hizbul Mujahideen commander Naikoo who was killed by security forces in Kashmir recently.
With more than 10 criminal cases against him, Ranjeet was one of the key links in the network engaged in smuggling of large number of composite consignments of drugs and illegal weapons through the Indo-Pak border through the land route of ICP Attari and also across the border fencing on Indo-Pak border in Punjab and J&K. He was also wanted for bringing in 532 kg of heroin and 52 kg of mixed narcotics, worth over Rs 2700 crores, from Pakistan in a consignment of 600 bags of rock salt, through Integrated Check Post, Attari (Amritsar) on 29th June, 2019.
In the June 2019 operation, the Customs Department, Amritsar, had seized one of the biggest hauls of 532 Kgs of suspected heroin and 52 Kgs of suspected mixed Narcotics at ICP, Amritsar and apprehended 2 persons, Tariq Ahmed Lone r/o Handwara, J&K and Gurpinder Singh r/o Amritsar. The consignment was hidden under bags of salt in the truck which had come from Pakistan.
Announcing Ranjeet’s arrest, along with that of his brother Gagandeep @ Bhola, from Begu village in Sirsa, Haryana, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh lauded the Punjab Police for their aggressive operations against terrorists and drug smugglers despite their pre-occupation with the enforcement of curfew and other measures to contain the spread of Covid.
Captain Amarinder also congratulated the police force, led by DGP Dinkar Gupta, for the arrest of Hilal Ahmed Wagay, an overground worker of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen. It is notable that the inputs shared by Punjab Police are learnt to have played a significant role in the operations by J&K Police against Riaz Ahmed Naikoo, the Hizbul Muhajideen Commander in the Valley. Two more Hizbul operatives were later, on May 5, arrested by Punjab Police from Amritsar.
