Punjab Police seize 10 kg heroin, arrest 8 in two separate cases

The Punjab Police have confiscated around 10 kg of heroin in two separate incidents in Amritsar in the past 24 hours, officials said on Saturday.

While Amritsar city police seized 6.1 kg of contraband, the counter intelligence has recovered 4 kg of heroin. A total of eight persons including a juvenile were arrested by the police in two cases.

“In a major strike against cross-border narco-smuggling, Commissionerate Police Amritsar busts a well-organised heroin trafficking cartel with direct links to Pakistan-based smugglers,” said Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav in a post on X.

He said the Chheharta police arrested key accused Sarbjit alias Joban, who was operating from the border village and was in direct contact with notorious Pakistani smuggler Rana. Sarabjit was arrested along with a juvenile for possessing 1 kg heroin.

During their interrogation the police further nabbed two more smugglers - Dharam Singh and Kulbir Singh – both residents of Ajnala, with over 5 kg heroin seized.

“The police recovered 6.1 kg of heroin and two bikes from their possession,” said Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, while adding that two separate FIRs at Airport police station and at Chheharta police station were registered against them.

Meanwhile, Counter Intelligence Amritsar seized 4 kg heroin from four smugglers from Kathania village in Attari here.

Those arrested were identified as Ranjit Singh and Karan Masih of Kahangarh village, Manpreet Singh and Ajaypal Singh of Devidaspura village in Jandiala. Apart from this, the CI has also booked Pakistani smuggler Shah in the case.

Sharing details, CI officials said that the police got the tip-off that Ranjit Singh and Karan Masih were involved in the trans-border smuggling of drugs and that they recently retrieved a huge drug consignment smuggled from Pakistan via drones.

The informer told them that they were going to deliver the narcotic consignment to Manpreet and Ajaypal at Kathania village bus stop. Following this, a raid was conducted and all the accused were held with the contraband. The police also seized their mobile phones.

A case under NDPS act was registered with the State Special Operation Cell in this connection.