Kingpin in drug, arms smuggling case held in Punjab

The accused, Harjeet Singh Himmat Singh, was nabbed from Baba Bakala after a two-day operation based on technical surveillance, officials said

NAVI MUMBAI: The alleged mastermind of a drug and arms smuggling racket from Punjab was arrested by the Navi Mumbai Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC), with authorities suspecting links to a cross-border narcotics network.

Kingpin in drug, arms smuggling case held in Punjab

The accused, Harjeet Singh Himmat Singh, was nabbed from Baba Bakala after a two-day operation based on technical surveillance, officials said. He was brought to Navi Mumbai under tight security and lodged in Taloja police station lock-up early Friday. He has been remanded in police custody till Monday.

The case pertains to a crime registered at Taloja police station under provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) and Arms Act.

Police said the arrest follows an earlier crackdown on March 16, when three men, Baljit Singh alias Monu, Gurupratap Singh alias Gopi, and Karamjit Singh, all residents of Amritsar, were held during an operation in the Chakan MIDC- Nigoje village area in Pune district.

During the raid, officials seized high-grade heroin, an Austria-made Glock pistol, live cartridges, and a trailer truck.

Investigators believe the case could be part of a larger cross-border smuggling network that uses drones to ferry narcotics into India before routing them to Maharashtra.

“During the investigation, it was found that these men were supplied with narcotics by Harjeet,” an officer said.

ANC officials tracked the accused through technical inputs and camped in Punjab for two days before arresting him.

Probe has revealed that the accused was in touch with the arrested men through WhatsApp calls and had financial dealings worth ₹14 lakh with them.