Cross-border drug smuggling rackets busted in Amritsar, six held with 9.2kg heroin

Accused were directly in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers and were supplying consignments of weapons and drugs across the state after collecting consignments via drones

Punjab Police on Wednesday busted cross-border drug smuggling rackets in Amritsar district with the arrest of six smugglers and recovered 9.4kg heroin along with five pistols.

The accused arrested in Amritsar on Wednesday were in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers and had received the consignments through drones. (Representational photo)

Amritsar rural police unearthed a Pakistan-backed drug smuggling racket with the arrest of two smugglers and recovered 7kg of heroin and five pistols, including four 9mm Glock pistols and a .32-bore pistol, state director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said.

Acting on a tip-off, the Amritsar rural police set up a naka (checkpoint) at Muhawa village in the Gharinda area and intercepted the Swift Dzire car in which Gurmukh Singh of Bhura Kona and Jagwant Singh of Mehdipur, both in Tarn Taran district, were going to deliver a weapon consignment. Besides recovering the five pistols, five live cartridges and five magazines were confiscated from them. The car has been impounded.

During interrogation, the accused admitted to have concealed the heroin consignment near their house. Following their disclosure, police raided the location and recovered 7kg of heroin.

Both accused were directly in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers and were supplying consignments of weapons and drugs across the state after receiving them via drones.

Amritsar Rural senior superintendent of police (SSP) Satinder Singh said investigations are on to establish backward and forward linkages in this case and identify the Pakistan-based smuggler and persons to whom the accused were to deliver the weapon consignment.

The Amritsar city police also busted a cross-border narcotic smuggling network with the arrest of four accused in three cases.

Amritsar commissioner of police Ranjit Singh Dhillon said the police teams of CIA staff acted on tip-offs and laid traps to arrest the accused along with the heroin and weapons.

Tejbir Singh of Burj Rai Ke in Tarn Taran was arrested and 1.47 kg heroin was recovered from him.

In another case, accused Ajay Singh and Pargat Singh, both residents of Mode village, were arrested with 950gm of heroin.

Rajinder Singh, also of Burj Rai Ke village, was arrested with a.32-bore pistol along with two live cartridges and nearly 60gm of heroin.

All these accused were in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers and had received the consignments through drones.