The counter-intelligence wing of Punjab police has arrested two drug smugglers from Gurdaspur and recovered 10 kg of heroin along with arms and ammunition from their possession, state’s director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Wednesday.
The senior officer said the accused, both residents of Punjab’s Gurdaspur district, were in contact with a Pakistan-based operative who pushed the consignment through the fences into India.
The accused have been identified as Harshdeep Singh of Thaman village and Sarwan Singh alias Sabba of Shahur village, police said, adding that two .30 bore foreign-made pistols were also recovered from them.
“In another major success against trans-border smuggling networks, Counter Intel #Pathankot has arrested 2 smugglers and recovered 10 Kg Heroin along with 2 pistols, 4 magazines & 180 live cartridges,” the DGP tweeted.
“Arrested persons were in contact with Pakistan based operative who pushed the consignment through the fences into India. FIR has been registered and investigation ongoing,” Yadav said in the tweet. “Punjab Police is committed to make Punjab drug-free as per the vision of CM Bhagwant Mann.”
The DGP said based on reliable inputs, teams from the Pathankot counter-intelligence unit carried out a special operation near Thaman village and arrested the drug smugglers, when they were returning to their homes after retrieving the consignment of drugs and weapons pushed by Pakistan-based smugglers through fences with the help of a pipe at Border Outpost (BOP) Chauntra in Gurdaspur’s Dorangala.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that both the drug smugglers were in contact with Pak-based smuggler identified as Rehmat Miyan,” Yadav told reporters.
Amarjit Singh Bajwa, the assistant inspector general of police (AIG), Pathankot counter-intelligence unit, said accused Sarwan was out on bail since 2018 after serving seven years in prison in drugs-related case.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Arms Act at the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) police station in Amritsar, said police.
The development came three days after the Punjab Police busted an elaborate trans-border drug smuggling cartel and arrested its two kingpins after recovering 10kg heroin and a sophisticated drone from their possession.
