Heroin smuggling ring busted, Ferozepur resident arrested

A network of heroin smugglers active along the international border has been busted in the adjoining Sriganganagar district with the help of the Punjab Police.

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Interrogation of a suspect, Baljit Singh, in Ludhiana about three months back led to the arrest of another drug peddler, Navdeep Singh, alias Lovely, a resident of Peer Ismail Khan in Ferozepur. The Sriganganagar police arrested Navdeep in connection with the seizure of 511 gm of heroin. He was remanded in police custody till February 27.

SP Gaurav Yadav said Navdeep was arrested in connection with a case registered against unknown smugglers on June 15, 2024.

The police said on June 14 night, farmers working in fields at Chak 44-PS village, near the India-Pakistan border, spotted some suspicious persons. The farmers tried to nab the suspects, but they fired at them and fled in a car. The farmers then alerted the Border Security Force and police. The security personnel cordoned off the area, but the smugglers fled after hitting a police vehicle. They recovered 6 kg of heroin from the fields.

The heroin packets were dropped during the night by a drone that came from Pakistan. The farmers claimed that they heard sound of the drone. However, the local police failed to trace the suspects for five months.

During the investigation, it came to light that Baljit Singh is connected with a network of heroin smugglers. He used to work as a courier for Punjab-based smugglers. Baljit Singh, along with his associates, had taken the task of delivering heroin packets dropped by Pakistani drones to smugglers at Chak 44-PS village on June 14.

Baljit Singh was accompanied by Navdeep Singh, alias Lovely, and a couple of other youths. A few days after Baljit Singh’s interrogation by the Punjab Police, Navdeep Singh was also caught with 511 gm of heroin in Fazilka district’s Jalalabad. The Punjab Police informed their Sriganganagar counterparts about the arrests of Baljit and Navdeep.

Sources said on June 14, packets containing 6 kg of heroin were also found from fields of one Moolpal Singh at Chak 13-K village. The mystery behind the consignment recovered from Chak 13-K village is yet to be resolved.