3 drug smugglers held in Punjab's Pathankot

Chandigarh, Apr 25 (PTI) Three drug smugglers were arrested after they opened fire at a police team and tried to flee near in Punjab's Pathankot district, police said on Sunday.

Police recovered 265 grams of heroin, a USA-made 7.62mm pistol and five cartridges from them. The accused have been identified as Karandeep Singh, alias Karan; Mandeep Singh, alias Happy; and Hardeep Singh, alias Saba, all residents of Mehma Chak village in Gurdaspur district.

The incident took place at 7.40 pm on Saturday evening when a police team was carrying out special checking near Jhakholahri in Pathankot.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gulneet Singh Khurana said while checking vehicles, the police team stopped a car without a registration number plate coming from the Amritsar side.

One of the three people sitting in the car opened fire at the police team and they tried to escape. "However, they were intercepted by the police team,” he said.

The SSP said the preliminary investigation revealed that Karandeep was a history-sheeter and has close links with smugglers in Pakistan.

Karandeep has been facing at least 12 criminal cases, including murder and attempt to murder.

Another accused, Mandeep Singh, has six criminal cases registered against him.

Police have booked them under Section 307 of the IPC (attempt to murder) and provisions of the Arms Act and the NDPS Act. PTI CHS VSD RDK RDK