DIPHU: A suspected drug peddler was shot at by the Assam Police when he allegedly tried to flee custody in Karbi Anglong district on Monday, a senior officer said.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of policemen intercepted a truck at around 1.30am at a checkpoint in Bokajan area under the Khatkhati Police station limits and arrested two persons, including the drug smuggler, as heroin worth around Rs 20 crore was recovered from their possession, the officer said.
The truck was coming from Manipur.
During preliminary interrogation, the two admitted that they planned to deliver the contraband to a nearby area, he said.
"When they were taken to the delivery point, one of the drug peddlers complained of uneasiness and was brought out of the police vehicle. He then tried to escape from there and the police personnel fired aiming at his leg," he explained.
The man has been admitted to Diphu Medical College and Hospital and his condition is said to be stable, the officer said.
At least 115 soap boxes containing 1.6kg of heroin were recovered from the truck during the search operation, he said.
Altogether, 32 people have been killed and at least 65 injured in police action since the BJP government, led by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, assumed office in May 2021.
The Gauhati high court had recently asked the Assam government to furnish case details of all encounters recorded since May last year.
