Major blow to cross-border smuggling in Punjab; 6 kg heroin, ammunition seized

In a breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to eradicate drugs from the state, Punjab Police’s Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar has dealt major blow to the cross-border heroin smuggling after seizing 6 kg heroin, 67 cartridges of .30 bore and two magazines, despite the accused managed to flee, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Sunday.

Apart from recovering substantial quantities of heroin and ammunition, police teams have also recovered six mobile phones, including an Apple iPhone 11 Pro and one Jio dongle, from the bag thrown by the accused.

DGP Yadav said that the CI Amritsar team has received input about the involvement of Gurdaspur’s Jaffarpur village-based person in the smuggling of drugs and weapons and the latter has recently received a consignment of heroin and arms ammunition with the help of drones from the area of Indo-Pak border in District Batala-Gurdaspur, and he is going to further deliver the same to some other party.

He said acting swiftly upon this tip, police teams led by Deputy Superintendent of Police (Amritsar) Balbir Singh conducted a raid at Jaffarpur village in Gurdaspur, during which the accused managed to escape, after throwing away his bag.

The police teams have seized the contraband from the bag, he added.

The DGP said that police teams have identified the absconding accused person and raids are being conducted to nab him.

Further investigation is going on to establish backwards and forward linkages in this case, he said, while adding that efforts are being made to identify his other associates, who are involved in the smuggling of drugs, arms and ammunition.

A case was registered on September 28 under sections 21, 25 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and Section 25 of the Arms Act at the Police Station State Special Operations Cell in Amritsar.