Amritsar: CI wing busts drug network, three held with 25 kg heroin

The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing of the Amritsar police has busted a narcotics smuggling network with the arrest of three individuals and the recovery of 25 kg of heroin from their possession.

The accused have been identified as Bhupinder Singh, a resident of Jandaur village in Hoshiarpur; Ravi Kumar, a resident of Kirpal Colony in Dasuya, Hoshiarpur; and Vishal Singh, a resident of Fatahpur in Amritsar. Besides recovering the contraband, the police have impounded their Hyundai Verna car, which was allegedly being used for drug smuggling.

The development came a day after CI officials arrested three persons linked to two separate narcotics smuggling networks and recovered 13 kg of heroin from their possession.

Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were acting on the directions of a cross-border smuggler and were involved in collecting heroin consignments from different locations for further distribution across Punjab.

Sharing operational details, the DGP said police teams from the CI (Amritsar) wing had received reliable information that Bhupinder Singh and Ravi Kumar were scheduled to meet their associate, Vishal Singh, on Mehta Road near Gill village in Amritsar to execute a major heroin deal.

Acting swiftly on the input, police teams laid nakas and intercepted the three accused near the grain market at Gill village. During the search, 8 kg of heroin was recovered from Vishal Singh, while 17 kg was recovered from Bhupinder Singh and Ravi Kumar.

The DGP said further investigation is underway to establish both forward and backward linkages, identify all associates involved and uncover the entire supply chain.

A case under Sections 21, 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act has been registered at the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) police station, Amritsar.