In a significant operation, the Ropar police apprehended five alleged drug smugglers following a dramatic chase and exchange of gunfire near Nangal town in Punjab's Rupnagar district on Thursday. One of the suspects sustained a bullet wound during the encounter and has been admitted to the BBMB Hospital in Nangal for medical treatment.
According to police sources, the accused were reportedly transporting heroin intended for distribution among local peddlers operating in the Nangal area. Acting on specific intelligence, a police team set up a checkpoint near Naya Nangal and flagged down a suspicious white Hyundai Accent car.
Ropar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Maninder Singh stated that the police had received information about a group of drug traffickers heading towards Nangal in the vehicle. Following the tip-off, a team led by officials from the Naya Nangal police post established a naka to intercept the suspects.
“When the police party signaled the vehicle to stop, the occupants attempted to flee and fired two rounds at the naka party in an effort to escape,” the SSP said. He added that the police immediately launched a pursuit, chasing the vehicle for nearly 10 kilometers.
During the chase, police personnel managed to stop the vehicle. To prevent the accused from escaping and neutralize the threat posed by the armed suspects, one round was fired from a service weapon, which struck one of the accused, identified as Lovepreet Singh, on the shoulder.
He was taken into custody and shifted to the BBMB Hospital, Nangal, where he is undergoing treatment. Police officials said his condition was stable.
The other accused were apprehended on the spot. They were identified as Lovepreet Singh of Jangpura in Mohali district, Rohit of Hisar, Shubham of Jind, Parikshit of Sonipat, and Lehmastak Pratap Singh of Chandigarh.
During the operation, the police recovered 150 grams of heroin, a .32-bore pistol loaded with five live cartridges, and the Hyundai Accent car used by the accused.
Sources said preliminary investigations indicated that the accused had come to Nangal to deliver the consignment to local drug peddlers. “The police are examining both backward and forward linkages of the accused to identify their suppliers, associates, and local contacts. Further investigation is underway and more arrests may follow,” the SSP said. A case under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act and the Arms Act has been registered.
