Amritsar police busts international drug cartel, 3 arrested with links to Pakistan handlers

The Commissionerate Police Amritsar has dismantled an organised drug cartel operating through Pakistan-based and other foreign handlers who used WhatsApp communication and drone-based deliveries for smuggling. Officials said that during multiple intelligence-driven operations held over the past five days, police have arrested three key operatives and uncovered a wider network linked to international smugglers. Three separate FIRs have been registered at the Gate Hakima and Chheharta police stations in this connection.

Sharing details, Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that in the first case, police arrested Balwinder Singh alias Binder, initially with 35g of methamphetamine, popularly known as ICE. His disclosures led police to seize an additional over 2 kg of ICE from a concealed location. Apart from this, they confiscated a car, a mobile phone and Rs 2,500 in drug money from him. Further interrogation revealed that he was working directly with a Pakistan-based trafficker who shared drone-drop locations through WhatsApp. Binder, a resident of village Daoke in Amritsar Rural, reportedly owns agricultural land near the international border with Pakistan and facilitated drone-based deliveries using coded messages.

In another operation, police arrested Navtej Singh with 40g ICE. As per the initial probe, he was in contact with a handler in Doha, Qatar, during his stay abroad. After returning to India, Navtej continued working as a courier, retrieving narcotics from designated locations on instructions sent through WhatsApp. His disclosures led to the recovery of 1.966kg ICE, taking the total seizure from him to over 2kg. Police also seized an Activa scooter used for transporting drugs. Navtej, originally from village Mahawa in Amritsar Rural, has two previous NDPS cases, including a 1kg 4g heroin case registered in 2021.

Similarly, in the third operation, the police apprehended Mahabir Singh with over 1kg heroin. Investigations indicate that he received heroin consignments through drones launched from Pakistan. A motorcycle was also confiscated from his possession. Mahabir, a resident of Kaaliyan Sektaran village in Tarn Taran, worked as a porter and has no previous criminal history.