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Cross-border drug smuggling module busted, five arrested from Tarn Taran
Cops also recovered ₹65.8 lakh drug money, a cash counting machine, 800gm heroin and a motorcycle from the accused, said senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurmeet Singh Chauhan.
A cross-border drug smuggling module, allegedly being operated from Pakistan, was busted with the arrest of five of its members from Sarhali village in Tarn Taran.
Cops also recovered ₹65.8 lakh drug money, a cash counting machine, 800gm heroin and a motorcycle from the accused, said senior superintendent of police (SSP) Gurmeet Singh Chauhan.
Those arrested have been identified as Surjit Singh alias Ganda of Rattoke village in Tarn Taran, Gurlal Singh of Dasuwal village in Tarn Taran, Hardeep alias Mittu, Karamjit Singh alias Sonu and Vinay Kumar of Amritsar. Two other members of the module, identified as Sumit Sharma and Naveen Bhatia of Amritsar, are on the run.
Superintendent of police (SP, investigation) Vishaljit Singh said, “A team of the crime investigation agency (CIA) laid a naka in Sarhali village in search of the miscreants. There, the team received a tip-off that accused Surjit and Gurlal, who are drug smugglers, are coming from Patti side. The team swung into action immediately and nabbed the duo with 800gm heroin.”
The SP said during investigation, it was found that the duo had been in touch with Pakistani smugglers.
“They confessed that they had been smuggling heroin into India on the instructions of their Pakistan-based handlers. After selling the heroin to unknown receivers, the accused would hand over the proceeds to Hardeep, Karamjit, Vinay, Naveen and Sumit,” said the SP.
He said their teams nabbed Hardeep, Karamjit and Vinay and recovered ₹65.8 lakh cash and a cash counting machine. “Our raids are on to arrest Naveen and Sumit,” he said.
Police sources said Naveen and Sumit had been further transferring the money using various hawala networks.
A case under various sections of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and Arms Act has been registered against the accused at Sarhali police station.
