Jalandhar: Punjab police arrested two drug-peddlers after a brief gunbattle in Jalandhar and recovered 250 gm of heroin worth Rs 25 lakh in the international market and lethal weapons from them.

Police today (Feb 4, 2004) said the encounter took place late last night when police trapped a drug-peddler and demanded supply of the contraband by posing as decoy customer.

When the accused, along with one of his accomplices, came to deliver the booty at a specific point, police party surrounded them setting off the encounter, following which the duo was arrested, SP Raj Pal Sandhu told reporters.

The duo identified as Gurpreet Singh and Roop was injured in the encounter and admitted to hospital where their condition was stated to be out of danger, he said

Police recovered 250 gm of heroin and a 38-bore revolver from the possession of the arrested persons.

"We had specific information that the drugs were being supplied from Jammu and Kashmir to local peddlers and after laying the trap got success yesterday night in arresting the suppliers," Sandhu said.

He said the possibility of busting of a big international smugglers' gang of the contraband could not be ruled out after a thorough investigation and interrogation of the arrested.

A case under narcotics and psychotropic substances act has been registered against the accused.