The Hindu : Man arrested with explosives

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 15, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Man arrested with explosives

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, FEB. 14. A 48-year-old man who allegedly used to smuggle explosives, drugs and fake currency at the behest of terrorist organisations has been arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi police. The police claim to have recovered 4 kg of high- intensity explosive from the accused.

The police said on Saturday that a team under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police, Rajbir Singh, had been tracking information about a Jammu-based smuggler of contraband and explosives for the past few weeks.

On Friday, a trap was laid following a specific tip-off at Mukarba Chowk in North-West Delhi. Around 3-30 p.m., the suspect, later identified as Ved Prakash Sharma alias Billa, was arrested. He was found in possession of 4 kg of explosives, which he was carrying in his bag. The police are trying to ascertain if the explosive is RDX or PETN.

According to the police, a consignment of explosives, heroin and counterfeit currency was handed over to Ved by Hanif, another such smuggler based in Lahore, Pakistan, in January. He disposed of the heroin in Punjab, while the counterfeit currency was given to Kashmiri militants.

The explosives were to be delivered in Delhi. Hanif had asked Ved to reach Delhi and then contact him for further directions. The police are yet to ascertain the identity of the person to whom the consignment was to be delivered as Ved was arrested before he could contact Hanif.

It was also revealed that Ved had been involved in smuggling narcotic substances like opium, "ganja", "charas" and heroin from across the border since 1982.

In 1984, the Jammu police had arrested him for allegedly being in possession of 9 kg "charas". He was again arrested two years later.

In 1988, Ved came in contact with Wadhawa Singh, chief of Babbar Khalsa International. Wadhawa instigated Ved to smuggle four AK-47 assault rifles, magazines, pistols and 40 kg of explosives from Pakistan into India.

But the entire consignment was seized by the Jammu police and he was booked under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). He remained in jail till 1995 and after his release again went to Pakistan.

There, he met Paramjeet Singh Panjwar of Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) and on his directions, brought three bags of RDX, pistols and cartridges into India.

He continued his smuggling activities and used to dispose of the contraband in Punjab and Delhi.

For a brief period, he shifted his base to Ludhiana in Punjab. But following the arrest of his associates by the Punjab police, he returned to Jammu. But he was arrested again in 1998.

After being released from jail in 2000, he resumed his smuggling activities and also began dealing in counterfeit currency. In the past four years, he has been to Pakistan several times in connection with the deals.

Meanwhile, further investigations are on to ascertain the identity of Ved's contacts in Delhi and also the nature of explosives he was carrying.

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