Property of former ASI-turned-smuggler worth Rs 1 cr freezed

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 12

The Amritsar rural police on Tuesday freezed property worth Rs 1 crore belonging to a notorious drug peddler Ranjit Singh Mode (an ASI) and dismissed him from service.

He has around five cases registered against him under the NDPS Act. His name recently figured in a case of confiscation of 7.3 kg heroin from the Indo-Pak border in Dera Baba Nanak area.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, the Amritsar rural police said during investigation, it was found that he had around 53 kanals and 18 marla land in the name of his wife Paramjit Kaur. They said during valuation the property was found to be worth Rs 1.07 crore. The same was frozen following the orders of the competent authority.

The police had seized 7.3 kg of heroin along with three Chinese .30 bore calibre pistols from near the international border in Dera Baba Nanak area on December 30. During investigation, it was found that notorious drug peddler Ranjit Singh of Modhe village played a key role in the smuggling of the consignment. A former cop, he is currently lodged in the Ludhiana Central jail and was running his drug network from there. Following the inputs provided by the rural police, the jail authorities confiscated a smart phone from his possession also.

Ranjit Singh was recruited as a constable in 80th battalion of Punjab Armed Police in 1989 and rose to the rank of ASI. In 2011, he was nabbed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence for smuggling 23 kg of heroin. He was dismissed from his service thereafter. He had around five cases registered against him under the NDPS Act and the Arms Act.

The police said Ranjit developed close links with Pakistan-based cross-border smugglers. Investigation revealed that he had developed links with Simranjit Singh and Surjit Masih who were prime suspects in the drone module racket busted by the police in December 2020.