Dubai-based youth among three nabbed with ‘ice’, heroin in Amritsar

With the arrest of three persons, the city police on Wednesday busted a trans-border drug smuggling racket, leading to the seizure of 1kg heroin and 1 kg 'ice' (methamphetamine), a popular party drug.

The contraband was smuggled from Pakistan through a drone. The cartel was linked to foreign-based gangster Gurdev Jaisal, who originally hailed from Tarn Taran.

Taking to X, the Punjab Police DGP said in a major breakthrough against trans-border narcotic smuggling networks, Amritsar Police Commissionerate apprehended three persons and seized 1 kg ‘ice’ (methamphetamine) and 1 kg heroin.

A Dubai-returned youth, identified as Karandeep Singh (22) of Bhakna, was among three persons arrested by the police in this connection. He also stayed in Moscow before returning to India several months ago.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that arrested person Karandeep, was earlier living in Dubai, UAE and Moscow (Russia) before coming back to Punjab and was connected with Pakistan-based smugglers. Karandeep was also in touch with foreign-based Gangster Gurdev,” the DGP said.

The other two arrested included Jeevan Singh (19) and Manjinder Singh (22), both residents of Chohla Sahib in Tarn Taran. Manjinder was a taxi driver and his taxi was used for transporting drugs, said Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar. An FIR under the NDPS Act was registered at the Airport police station and investigations were on to establish backward and forward linkages, he said.