The counter-intelligence wing of the Punjab Police has seized 21kg heroin that was smuggled into Indian territory from Pakistan. Five people have been arrested in this connection.
Stating this here at a press conference on Wednesday, inspector general of police (IGP, counter-intelligence), Jitendra Jain said their team arrested the accused along with the contraband at Malout near Bathinda on Tuesday. Three Pakistani SIM cards, six mobile phones and Rs 1.1 lakh in cash were also recovered from the accused.
The contraband was brought from Pakistan through Ghadsana in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan and was smuggled across the international border through pipes.
Those arrested have been identified are Jugraj Singh and Jagveer Singh of Amritsar, brothers Sandeep Singh and Amarjeet Singh of Fazilka, and Inderjit Singh. Inderjit is a nephew of drug kingpin Amolak Singh, who is at large. The Punjab police have informed their Rajasthan counterparts about two gang members hailing from their state, while four others are yet to be identified.
“Amolak and his another nephew, Amandeep Singh, fled in an Innova (PB02VZ-3665) and a Swift Dzire (PB30M-8905),” said Jain.
“Amolak, who hails from Harike in Tarn Taran district, was one of the top-category smugglers listed with the Punjab police. Fearing arrest, he shifted his base for smuggling from the Punjab border to the Rajasthan border,” the IGP said. All accused have been booked under sections 21, 25, 29, 61 and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
“During interrogation, the arrested accused admitted that Amolak, who is wanted in several cases of drug smuggling, had shifted his base to Rajasthan. The recovered heroin was to be supplied in the national and international markets. All the arrested smugglers had old links with Ahmadeen alias Ahmi of Kasur district (Pakistan). He supplied the heroin to the accused on the night of November 23,” Jain said.
{{/usCountry}}“During interrogation, the arrested accused admitted that Amolak, who is wanted in several cases of drug smuggling, had shifted his base to Rajasthan. The recovered heroin was to be supplied in the national and international markets. All the arrested smugglers had old links with Ahmadeen alias Ahmi of Kasur district (Pakistan). He supplied the heroin to the accused on the night of November 23,” Jain said.
{{/usCountry}}Amolak had been arrested with 55kg heroin and 22kg opium by the Kapurthala police in 2000 and had been convicted and sentenced to 10-year imprisonment. However, he jumped parole in March this year. In other cases, 20kg heroin was seized from him by the Tarn Taran police in October 2013; 2kg heroin by the Sahnewal (Ludhiana) police in March 2003; and 8kg heroin by the Amritsar police in February 2007.
Amolak’s brother Harpal Singh, who was undergoing 15-year imprisonment, has also jumped parole.