1.1 kg heroin seized after peddler’s interrogation, two more in police net

Amritsar, June 30

Following the disclosure of a drug trafficker, Amandeep Singh, a resident of Rania border village, during interrogation, the Amritsar city police have managed to seize 1.1 kg heroin and Rs 8.75 lakh drug money from two persons, including a hawala operator. Those arrested are Manpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh, alias Sunny, both residents of Gali Phattwali inside Sultanwind Gate here. The police have also seized the car which was being used for drug peddling.

Abhimanyu Rana, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, said Amandeep was arrested by the Ranjit Avenue police with 1kg heroin three days ago. His interrogation spilled the beans over the involvement of his two accomplices Manpreet and Mandeep. Following the disclosure, they were arrested.

‘Their disclosure led to the seizure of another 1.1kg contraband, thereby taking the total seizure to 2.1 kg. Two cars had also been impounded,” he said while adding that further investigations were still under progress.

Manpreet was the hawala trader who used to pick up the cash from the drug smugglers and later deliver the same to the designated persons. “More arrests are likely to be made soon in the case,” the ADCP said.

According to a police investigation, Amandeep was also an accused in a murder case. In 2012, he was arrested and sent to jail. He came out of jail on parole after five years and absconded. Since then, he had been evading arrest.

As Amandeep’s residence was located near the international border fence, a drone used to drop the contraband in his house. “Due to close proximity to the international border, he used to contact his Pakistani accomplices and send them the location on WhatsApp. They later used to drop the contraband with the help of a drone,” the police sources said.

They further said Amandeep had accumulated huge properties with the help of the money earned from the illegal drug trade. Financial investigations had also been initiated in order to identify the properties from the ill-gotten money and these might be frozen later.