Three drug smugglers arrested for shooting at locals in J-K's Samba; 2.8 kg heroin seized

Samba/Jammu, June 12

Three alleged narcotic smugglers from Punjab were arrested after they shot at two local youths in a village near the International Border in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, police said.

Later, 2.8 kilograms of heroin worth crores of rupees was recovered at the instance of the accused who were identified as Jagdeep Singh (21) and Satinderpal Singh of Tarn Taran and Sunny Kumar (22) of Amritsar, they said.

The three accused were arrested after they shot at two youths during a scuffle between the two sides on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, Samba Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Benam Tosh told reporters.

The youths, both from Ramgarh sector, and one of the smugglers were injured in the firing near Rangnoor bus stand, he said.

“The arrest of the three heroin smugglers is a big achievement for police… no terror link has been established so far. It is a matter of investigation whether the smugglers had come to pick up a consignment or deliver one,” the SSP said.

Giving details of the incident, Tosh said when the heroin smugglers from Punjab reached the border village of Rangoor Camp, they got into an argument with a group of eight local youths over letting their car pass through.

As the argument escalated, Satinderpal opened fire with a pistol, resulting in bullet injuries to two youths Sunil Kumar (21) and Sunil Kumar (23) and his associate Sunny Kumar, he said.

He said the smugglers, including Sunny, abandoned their car and tried to flee the spot on a motorcycle of one of the locals but were intercepted by police at a nearby checkpoint and arrested.

The injured were provided preliminary treatment at a local medical facility and later referred to Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu, for specialised treatment, the SSP said.

The arrested smugglers later led the police to a spot near the scene of the crime from where 2.8 kilograms of heroin worth crores of rupees in the international market, a pistol with a magazine and some rounds, cash worth Rs 93,200 and four costly mobile phones were recovered, he said.

A case has been registered in the matter under sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Tosh said.