5.5 kg heroin seized in Amritsar, 4 arrested

The Punjab Police, in a joint operation with the Border Security Force (BSF), busted a trans-border drug module by seizing 5.54 kg heroin smuggled from Pakistan and arresting four persons on Saturday.

2 kg drug seized in Fazilka

• The Special Operations Cell, Intelligence Wing, found 2 kg heroin hidden along a drain near Ladhuka village in Fazilka. A case has been registered
• Investigation officer Satinder Singh Brar said during patrolling, they got information that two masked men hid a polythene packet in the bushes along the Ladhuka drain and then left in a car towards Ferozepur. Later, a packet covered with yellow tape was found there. It contained four small packets, each containing 500 gm heroin

Those arrested were identified as Kuldeep Singh, Kirpal Singh (both residents of Teda Rajputa village), Jatinder Singh of Muhar village and Gurpreet Singh of Mandiala village.

Amritsar (Rural) SSP Charanjit Singh said following inputs from the BSF about a suspected drone sortie and the presence of drug smugglers at Sahowal village in Ajnala belt, an extensive search operation was launched that led the arrest of four drug peddlers.

“Following a tip-off, the police and the BSF ascertained the location of drug peddlers near the Sahowal cremation ground. Their bike was also parked there. All four were arrested from the spot along with the contraband,” said SSP Charanjit Singh.

“As per preliminary probe, their modus operandi was similar to the earlier seizure of 2.3 kg heroin confiscated by the Amritsar rural police on August 31,” the SSP added.

He said the Ramdass-Ajnala border belt had witnessed a spurt in drone sorties since August 17. Most of these sorties were used to deliver drugs, sources said. Police teams and the BSF conducted extensive search operations in the areas where drone droppings were suspected.

Investigations were in progress to ascertain whether these drugs were part of some bigger consignment. The SSP said the current heroin consignment was believed to be dropped by a bigger drone, contrary to the practice of using small drones.

He said Kuldeep Singh was earlier arrested by the State Special Operation Cell for a similar offence last year. He was currently on bail. During interrogation, Kuldeep admitted that this was the second consignment he had received from Pakistan.

A fresh case has been registered under the NDPS Act at the Ajnala police station against them and further probe was on, the SSP said.