Kingpin of antique smuggling ring arrested: Police

Shimla, Oct 8 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh Police claimed to have arrested the kingpin of the antique smuggling ring after arresting two key members of an international gang, in a joint operation with Delhi Police in the national capital.

Lahaul Spiti District SP Asif Jalal told UNI here that the two people identified as M L Verma and Satinder Kumar Jain were arrested in Delhi following the interrogating of four youths caught while transporting antiques stolen from a temple from the 12,000-foot Kunjam Pass in the district recently.

Verma, now in police custody at Kaza in the district, claimed to be a dentist and a realtor, put all the blame on Jain who at present is under medical observation following complaints of high BP, he said.

Mr Jalal said a New Delhi court has granted him bail, while directing him to appear before Rekong Peo Chief Judicial Magistrate on October 13, later this month.

Jain is pretending to be ill and was buying time to tamper with evidence, he said.

Meanwhile, Himachal DIG J R Thakur said, police recovered the stolen antiques from four people traveling in a red Tavera car following a tip off.

He said they also found a mobile number belonging to one Ravi Kumar of Hoshiarpur in Punjab, whose agent, Daljeet Singh, was in Delhi.

The subsequent joint operation by thE TWO police teams helped them in arresting the kingpin, Mr Thakur said.

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