Armyman among 2 held with 31kg heroin in Fazilka

He was arrested with his aide, Paramjeet Singh of Fazilka. Their vehicle, a Hyundai Verna with a Uttar Pradesh registration number, was impounded, and their phones were seized.

A 26-year-old armyman and his aide were arrested with 31kg heroin on Saturday.

A 26-year-old armyman and his aide were arrested with 31kg heroin. (Representational Image/HT File)

The accused, Harmeet Kamboj, was posted as a sepoy in Pathankot. He was arrested with his aide, Paramjeet Singh of Fazilka. Their vehicle, a Hyundai Verna with a Uttar Pradesh registration number, was impounded, and their phones were seized.

Punjab director general of police Gaurav Yadav said, “In a joint operation, the central agencies, Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police led by senior superintendent of police Bhupinder Singh Sidhu launched a cordon and search operation in Sadar Fazilka. During the operation, a Verna car was stopped for checking. An occupant flourished an Indian army identity card, but when the cops insisted on checking the vehicle, the accused sped away in their car.”

The police teams immediately strengthened all checkpoints and managed to trace the accused on the Gagan-Shamshabad Road. “On checking the vehicle, 29 packets of heroin were seized,” he said.

Deputy inspector general (DIG, Ferozepur Range) Ranjit Singh Dhillon said, “The accused had received the drug consignment from Pakistan-based smugglers, who had pushed the drugs through the border fencing with a pipe.” A case was registered under Sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.