Mandeep Kumar Ranga arrested on a U.S. extradition warrant after being charged in the U.S. with Conspiracy to Import a Controlled Substance

Mandeep Kumar Ranga thought he was being kidnapped when plainclothes RCMP officers arrived at his parents' Vancouver house Thursday.He began screaming that it was an abduction attempt and his panicked folks called Vancouver Police's emergency line.In fact, Ranga, 26, was being arrested on a U.S. extradition warrant after being charged in the U.S. with Conspiracy to Import a Controlled Substance, Importation of a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Possess the Proceeds of Crime.The RCMP officers wore clothing with the force's initials clearly identified, media relations officer Cons. Annie Linteau said in a release."During the arrest, Ranga became confrontational with arresting officers and began screaming for help and yelling that he was being kidnapped," she said. "A physical confrontation ensued requiring several officers to subdue Ranga."The RCMP had already informed the city force about their impending arrest, but the VPD still responded to the 911 call."The family members present were not involved in the physical aspects of the arrest, but remained uncooperative with the police," RCMP said.Neighbours and Ranga's friends soon arrived and began shouting, inflaming the situation more.The colourful young gangster already has a long history with police for his activities on this side of the border.While still a teen, Ranga was charged along with Peter Adiwal, one of the founders of the Independent Soldiers, with kidnapping a former high school friend Steven Sadurah "to extort from him information about his parents' jewelry store," a provincial judge recounted at the time."After being grabbed, bound and struck, the Crown alleges that Sadurah was taken away in the Adiwal family van and confined in several locations, ending up at the unoccupied basement suite at the Adiwal family home, from which Sadurah escaped."Ranga was convicted, but the judge said the Crown's case against Adiwal fell "just short" and he was acquitted.Ranga's name surfaced again in connection with Adiwal when the latter pleaded guilty to another brutal drug kidnapping in the fall of 2005. The sentencing hearing heard how Adiwal sent his cousin to talk to Ranga to pressure the kidnap victim to recant his story in court. And Ranga also got a call from Adiwal's mom telling him to get the victim to change his evidence, the court heard.Ranga was charged with extortion in Vancouver in 2004, along with two associates, but a few months later, the charges were stayed. He was charged last April with possession of a controlled substance and flight from a peace officer, but those charges were also stayed a month later.

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