E-Paper
22-year-old arrested in Punjab with heroin worth ₹75 crore smuggled from Pakistan
Police said that drug smugglers operating along the Ferozepur border have become highly active, taking advantage of the ongoing flood situation.
A 22-year-old man was arrested in Punjab’s Ferozepur with 15.775 kilograms of heroin, valued at around ₹75 crore, allegedly smuggled from Pakistan.
The arrest was carried out by CIA staff of the Ferozepur Police following secret intelligence about a large consignment arriving from across the border.
The accused, identified as Sonu, was apprehended from an embankment along the Sutlej River in the Ali area, ANI reported, citing police officials.
During interrogation, police said they uncovered a significant cross-border conspiracy. It was revealed that the heroin had been ordered by a major drug smuggler currently lodged in Kapurthala jail, who had coordinated with contacts in Pakistan.
Punjab Police are preparing to bring the jailed smuggler on a production warrant for further questioning, the news agency reported.
Sharing details of the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police Bhupinder Singh said drug smugglers operating along the Ferozepur border have become highly active, taking advantage of the ongoing flood situation.
“Taking advantage of the disaster, these elements are continuously sending consignments,” he said. Punjab has been grappling with severe flooding in recent weeks, with rivers overflowing and low-lying areas inundated.
He added that in the past 15 days alone, about 30 kg of heroin has been recovered from the Ferozepur area, all suspected to have been imported from Pakistan.
The police are now investigating the entire network to trace both upstream and downstream links, including the intended supply points and how the smugglers maintained cross-border contact, with the aim of dismantling the entire drug operation.
