In a major breakthrough against trans-border narcotic smuggling networks, Fazilka Police in a joint operation with Border Security Force (BSF) have busted an International Narco smuggling module with the arrest of seven drug smugglers after recovering 5.47 Kg pure grade Heroin and RS 1.07 lakh drug money from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Sunday.
Those arrested have been identified as Baljinder Singh alias Lovely (21), Sukhchain Singh alias Lucky (19) and Solav Singh (19), trio residents of village Peere Ke Uttar in Fazilka; Gurcharan Singh alias Milkha (21) of village Chak Swaah Wala in Fazilka, Karandeep Singh (29) of village Badal Ke in Fazilka, Daljit Singh alias Maani (23) of Mahatam Nagar in Fazilka and Kamaldeep Singh (32) of village Kot Gobindpura in Kapurthala. Accused Kamaldeep Singh has a criminal background and has already been facing two cases under the NDPS act in Kapurthala.
Apart from recovering heroin and drug money, Police teams have also recovered 40 live cartridges, six mobile phones, 8.4 grams gold and 68.97 grams silver from their possession, besides, impounding their Hyundai Verna car (HR 06 Y 8681) and three motorcycles.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed most of the accused persons, who are in their teens, are students and were preparing for Army recruitment when they got acquainted with Kapurthala based drug smuggler Kamaldeep Singh and started smuggling heroin from across the border. The arrested accused were in touch with a Pakistan-based smuggler and were getting drug consignments via drones, he added.
He said that investigations are ongoing to establish backward and forward linkages and identify the Pakistan-based drug smuggler.
Sharing operation details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr Pragya Jain said that Police teams got reliable inputs that accused Baljinder Singh, Sukhchain Singh, Solav Singh, Gurcharan Singh, Karandeep Singh and Kamaldeep Singh had got consignment smuggled from Pakistan and kept concealed at accused Baljinder’s house.
Acting swiftly on inputs, teams from Police Station Amir Khaas raided the spot and managed to arrest all the accused persons when they were about to leave their house in their Verna car and recovered drug consignment, live cartridges and drug money from their possession, she said, while adding that later Police teams have also arrested accused Daljit Singh.
The SSP said that the majority of the accused persons were first-timers and for the last four months they had been into this drug smuggling business. Further investigations are on, she added.
A case FIR no. 23 dated 23/05/2024 has been registered under sections 21, 23 and 29 of the NDPS Act and section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Amir Khaas in Fazilka.
Meanwhile, Fazilka Police has recovered 22.57 kg of heroin since inception of the Model Code of Conduct on March 16, 2024.