Police, BSF seize 25 kg heroin, arms near International Border; two held

In a significant breakthrough against trans-border narcotics and arms smuggling, the Amritsar Rural Police, in a joint operation with the Border Security Force (BSF), have recovered a large consignment of heroin and illegal weapons near the India-Pakistan border and arrested two persons, officials said on Sunday.

The police said the joint teams of the police and the BSF recovered 25 kg of heroin, two pistols and 60 live cartridges during a targeted operation conducted in the Ghogha area under the Bhindi Saidan police station in Amritsar district. Two local residents were apprehended on the spot.

According to senior police officials, the operation was launched on the basis of specific intelligence inputs about a cross-border smuggling attempt. Acting swiftly, police and BSF personnel cordoned off the suspected area and intercepted the accused before the contraband could be distributed further.

Preliminary investigation suggests that the recovered consignment was smuggled into Indian territory from Pakistan using drones, pointing towards the involvement of an organised cross-border module. Officials said such consignments are typically dropped in border villages for retrieval by local handlers, who then facilitate onward movement to drug syndicates operating inland.

“The recovery of a huge quantity of heroin along with firearms and ammunition indicates a well-coordinated narco-terror network. The use of drones reflects a growing trend by smugglers to evade border surveillance,” said DGP Gaurav Yadav.

An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Arms Act. The arrested accused are being interrogated to ascertain the source of the consignment, their handlers across the border, and the intended recipients.

The police said efforts are underway to establish both forward and backward linkages of the smuggling network, and further arrests are likely in the coming days. Forensic examination of the recovered weapons and technical analysis related to drone activity are also being carried out.