Security agencies quiz smugglers
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, January 11
Three drug smugglers, arrested by the Punjab Police for smuggling narcotics and weapons through drones, were today sent to a three-day police remand. They were produced before the Duty Magistrate on Saturday evening.
As the matter pertains to national security, a number of personnel of intelligence and security agencies also reached the CIA Staff office of the Amritsar Rural police to interrogate them.
The police had arrested jail inmate Balkar Singh along with Haryana resident and Army man Rahul Chohan and Dharminder Singh for smuggling narcotics and weapons from Pakistan. The police had confiscated two drones, Rs 6.22 lakh believed to be proceeds of sale of drugs and a magazine of INSAS rifle, two walkie-talkie sets from their possession.
Balkar Singh was the kingpin of the narco-terror module who was running the network from inside the high-security Amritsar Central Jail through mobile phones. Balkar Singh was arrested after he was brought on a production warrant.
An official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said personnel of a number of intelligence and security agencies had reached Amritsar. They interrogated the three accused to ascertain the modus operandi of the module.
The use of drones by drug peddlers and Pakistan-based anti-national forces has become a major challenge for the Border Security Force and Punjab Police. During the winters, when visibility becomes zero due to dense fog in the open fields near the International Border, the smugglers use every possible mean to push in drugs. Recently, the BSF and police had carried out a search operation in the Ajnala sector after BSF jawans heard the sound of sorties being made by drones. However, they could not locate the drones at that time.
