VARANASI: In a dramatic chase of almost two hours by the joint team of SOG, Robertsganj and Chopan police a drug smuggler from Punjab, who threw bunches of currency notes from his car to divert cops chasing him, was arrested after suffering bullet injury in his leg while his accomplice managed to escape in Sonbhadra district around 4.30 am on Monday.Providing details of this action Sonbhadra SP Abhishek Verma said that on getting inputs regarding movement of drugs smugglers a joint team of cops from Chopan, Robertsganj police stations and SOG was formed around 2.30 am. This team cordoned off Viranjua area under Rampur Barkonia police station limits and succeeded in locating the car of smugglers.However, on seeing police the smugglers started throwing currency notes (in denomination of Rs 100) in bulk to ensure that policemen coming behind them are getting involved in collecting it instead of chasing them. However, when the SOG cops reached very close to smugglers vehicle they rammed the police vehicle multiple times and damaging it. Verma said that on seeing cops in problem due to damaging of vehicle in the Salkhan area a local resident Pradeep Kumar Modanwal immediately provided his personal car to the SOG team after which they restarted chasing the smugglers.The smugglers also rammed Modanwal’s car in an attempt to escape but till then the cops from Chopan and Robertsganj police station also reached there and surrounded the vehicle of smugglers, who opened fire on the police team after jumping out of their vehicle, said Verma adding, in retaliatory action one of the smugglers identified as Prince (27) of Ludhiana in Punjab, suffered bullet injury in leg and caught while his accomplices managed to flee taking advantage of the darkness and hilly terrain. Police launched a combing to search them.After recovering 3 kilograms of opium, 225 kilograms of doda (raw opium), cash worth Rs 50,000 a luxury range car, one country-made pistol and cartridge policemen rushed him to hospital. Verma said that total value of seized articles was estimated worth Rs 58.75 lakhs.During initial interrogation Prince divulged that his gang had purchased narcotics from Daltonganj in Jharkhand to take it to Ludhiana for peddling. he confessed that he and his gang members had used this route to take drugs consignment two-three times in recent months.Verma also gave a cash reward of Rs 10,000 to Modanwal for ensuring timely help to policemen while SOG team was given a cash reward of Rs 20,000. Officials were in contact of police of other UP districts, Punjab and other states to know there was any criminal history of Prince and his gang members.
