Drug smuggler held with over 18 kg heroin by Punjab police

Police say preliminary investigations revealed that arrested accused Hira Singh and his associate, identified Kulwinder Singh, alias Kinda, of Dauke village in Amritsar, were in touch with Pakistan-based drug trafficker identified as Billa, who has been using drones to drop large consignments of heroin from across the border for the past one year

The anti-narcotics task force of Punjab Police has apprehended a man, who was linked to a Pakistan-based drug trafficker, and recovered over 18.2kg heroin, officials said on Friday.

Besides heroin, police teams have also impounded accused’s HF Deluxe motorcycle (PB 02 BW 7803), which he was riding. (HT Photo)

“Striking a major blow to the cross-border drug smuggling amidst the ongoing anti-drugs campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’, Punjab Police’s anti-narcotics task force (ANTF) apprehended a key drug trafficker and recovered 18.2kg heroin from his possession,” said Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.

The arrested drug smuggler has been identified as Hira Singh, alias Hira, a resident of Khaira village in Amritsar. Besides heroin, police teams have also impounded his HF Deluxe motorcycle (PB 02 BW 7803), which he was riding.

In a release, Yadav said preliminary investigations have revealed that Hira Singh and his associate, identified Kulwinder Singh, alias Kinda, of Dauke village in Amritsar, were in touch with Pakistan-based drug trafficker identified as Billa. The latter has been using drones to drop large consignments of heroin from across the border for the past one year, he added.

The DGP said raids are being conducted to nab Kulwinder Singh. Further investigations are on, he added.

Sharing more details, ADGP (ANTF) Nilabh Kishore said police teams of ANTF (border range, Amritsar) received a reliable input that Hira Singh and Kulwinder Singh had been receiving heroin consignments via drones from a Pakistan-based drug smugglers for the past one year.

Acting swiftly, police teams led by SP (ANTF Amritsar) Gurpreet Singh launched an operation and arrested Hira, when he was leaving his house on a motorcycle to deliver a heroin consignment. Police teams have recovered 12 packet of heroin (weighing 1.5 kg each), totalling 18 kg 227 gm, from his possession, he said.

A case under Sections 21-C, 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act has been registered at the ANTF police station in SAS Nagar, said officials.