Notorious peddler Pehalwan among 4 more held from Delhi

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, June 12

A week after the seizure of 1.75-kg heroin, CIA staff has arrested the notorious drug peddler Varinder Singh Pehalwan of Ferozepur along with his accomplice Narinder Narpinder Singh alias Sonu from Delhi.

Pehalwan having links with cross-border drugs and arms smugglers was hiding in Delhi in a rented accommodation by faking his identity.

Besides Pehalwan and Sonu, the police also nabbed their two more accomplices Pehalwan’s brother Vikramjit Singh from Goindwal Jail and Gurmeet Singh of Ferozepur.

Till now, the police have nabbed six persons in the drug racket so far. Earlier, the police had arrested Heera Singh of Muradpura and Nishan Singh of Kot Dharam Chand on June 5.

“Pehalwan is a big fish in the illegal drug trade. He and his family members were involved in the drug smuggling for years now. His father Raj Singh and brother Vikramjit Singh and some other relatives were booked under the NDPS Act at different police stations in the border state,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhimanyu Rana.

Vikramjit Singh was in touch with his brother Pehalwan residing in Delhi and was running their networks. The contraband seized from Heera and Nishan was part of the bigger consignment smuggled from Pakistan in the recent past.

The police have detected their links with smugglers in Jammu and Kashmir. Investigation is still underway in this direction, said Gurinderpal Singh Nagra, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Investigation).

Heera Singh and Nishan Singh were held by the police on June 5 from near India Gate following a tip-off. The police had confiscated 1.75-kg contraband from their possession. Three cases had previously been registered against Heera under the NDPS Act in Tarn Taran while a case of snatching was earlier registered against Nishan in Ferozepur district.

A case under Sections 21 (C), 25, 29, 61 and 85, NDPS Act, was registered against them at the Chheharta police station here.