Delhi Police's Inter-State Cell arrests proclaimed offender under NDPS act

NEW DELHI: The Inter-State Cell (ISC) of the Delhi Police Crime Branch has arrested a proclaimed offender under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, who was evading arrest for seven years, police said on Thursday.

The accused, identified as 30-year-old Harpreet Singh alias Mani, is a resident of Bathinda in Punjab. In a First Information Report (FIR) registered in Bathinda on January 5, 2018, he was declared as a proclaimed offender under the NDPS act.

According to officials, the accused had been evading arrest for the last seven years by frequently changing hideouts and concealing his identity. Verification further revealed that he is wanted in another criminal case, also registered in Bathinda.

On January 5, 2018, the accused Harpreet Singh was apprehended by officials of Bathinda Cantt police station while carrying a polythene bag containing intoxicating medicines. The contraband items that were recovered from his possession included eight bottles of 'Wincerex' syrup, four bottles of 'Onerex' syrup and 15 strips of 'Carisoma' tablets.

An FIR No. 03/2018 under Sections 22/61/85 of the NDPS Act was registered at the concerned police station and the accused was arrested. Subsequently, he was granted bail in 2019 by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Later, the accused jumped bail and was declared a proclaimed offender on September 23, 2020.

Officials said that a team of ISC, Crime Branch, was working round-the-clock to trace and apprehend the absconding accused. Through persistent criminal Intelligence gathering, field verification, and technical surveillance, actionable information was developed which indicated that the accused frequently visited the Trans-Yamuna area of Delhi.