Four cops held for snatching heroin from drug smuggler in Punjab

The special task force (STF) constituted to fight the drug menace in Punjab on Friday arrested five people, including four personnel of the counter-intelligence wing of the police, who had snatched 300 gm heroin and extorted Rs 8 lakh from a trafficker while impersonating as an STF team.

Disclosing this, additional director general of police (border range)-cum-STF chief Harpreet Singh Sidhu said the Mohali unit of STF had arrested a drug trafficker, Narinder Singh, with 550gm heroine and Rs 4 lakh on June 4. Narinder, who hailed from Patiala, was living in Mohali.

During the interrogation, the STF came to know from the accused that some counter-intelligence cops had extorted money from him by impersonating as Fazilka unit of STF. They released the trafficker without taking any legal action against him after making recovery near the Dappar toll barrier at Lalru.

“During investigations it emerged that sub-inspector Sushil Kumar and constable Gagandeep Singh (both posted with counter-intelligence sub-unit, Mansa), head constable Jarnail Singh and constable Harjit Singh (both posted with Muktsar sub-unit) and Gagandeep Singh Maan, a resident of Kharar, were involved in the case and they were arrested after a probe,” said Sidhu.

He said that all the accused ganged up under Sub-inspector Sushil Kumar’s leadership in Mohali and went to Lalru area, which is out of their jurisdiction.

“They used their own private cars after changing the number plates without informing their senior officers or taking permissionfrom them. They stopped Narinder’s vehicle in Lalru area posing as STF team of Fazilka unit and took him forcibly towards Fatehgarh Sahib side,” he added.

Sidhu said these police officials first snatched heroin from the trafficker and later extorted Rs 8 lakh from him. After getting money and heroin, they released Narinder, he added.

He said two other persons were involved in the case, namely Sukhpreet Singh alias Harry of Bathinda and Vakil Singh alias Kala Sarpanch of Mukatsar, were still on the run.

Source said all the cops were addicts and have admitted that they have sold half of the snatched heroin and consumed most of it that was left out.

The police have registered a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, charges of kidnapping, extortion and criminal conspiracy at the STF police station, Mohali.