Punjab Police nabs kingpin of international drug smuggling case

Punjab Police said the accused, Simranjot Sandhu, used his international links to play a major role in smuggling drugs into India and other European countries

Punjab Police in a joint operation with a central agency has apprehended Simranjot Sandhu, the kingpin of the 2020 case involving the smuggling of 487 kg cocaine in Germany.

The accused is a native of Amritsar. (File)

According to director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, Sandhu is a key lynchpin of an international drug cartel and is wanted in Germany for drugs-related offences. He added that Sandhu used his international links to play a major role in smuggling drugs into India and other European countries.

“Punjab Police is committed to dismantle the drug networks and make our state drug-free as per the directions of Hon’ble CM,” the DGP wrote in a post on X.

Sandhu, a native of Amritsar, is wanted in India in a drug-trafficking case wherein 300 kg heroin was smuggled from Pakistan to Mandvi in Gujarat through the sea route in 2018.

A key member of the drug syndicate in India, he had fled to Italy when Gujarat ATS first busted the racket. He was arrested in Italy after a red-corner notice was issued on the initiative taken by Gujarat ATS, but was later freed.

In January 2020, the Punjab STF had recovered 194-kg heroin and chemicals from a house in Sultanwind area of Amritsar, which was registered in the name of former member of the Subordinate Service Selection Board (SSSB) Anwar Masih on the disclosure of one Sukhbir Singh, alias Happy, who was arrested with 6 kg heroin in Mohali.

The case was eventually taken over by NIA after which another red-corner notice was issued against Sandhu by the central agency.

More details in the present case are awaited.