8 kg heroin seized; five arrested in Amritsar
The Border Security Force (BSF), Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) and Amritsar rural police have seized around 8 kg of heroin and arrested five alleged drug smugglers in separate operations in the district.
The accused are suspected to be in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers. Five mobile phones recovered from them are being examined by forensic teams, with the police hoping to gather information about their network and other associates. Separate cases under the NDPS Act have been registered against all five accused.
Acting on a tip-off that a consignment of heroin had been dropped by Pakistani smugglers using a drone in the Attari sector, the ANTF, along with the BSF, launched a search operation on Friday morning. Within about 30 minutes, the teams recovered 5 kg of heroin lying abandoned in the area.
According to the police, the consignment was to be picked up by smugglers here. However, no one arrived at the spot, apparently due to the presence of the security agencies. The police are now trying to identify the persons who were supposed to collect the consignment.
In another operation, the ANTF arrested Paramjit Singh, alias Pamma, a resident of Dhanoa Khurd village, and Harpreet Singh, alias Happy, of Hardo Rattan village. The duo was allegedly carrying 1 kg of heroin near Hardo Rattan village when they were intercepted during a naka.
In a separate operation, the Amritsar rural police arrested three persons with 2 kg of heroin in the Gharinda area. Their criminal antecedents are being verified.
The police are also examining the mobile phones seized from the accused. Investigators suspect that the devices may provide crucial leads about their links with Pakistan-based smugglers and other members of the drug network.
