Chandigarh, April 21 Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busted two inter-linked cross-border narcotics smuggling cartels with the arrest of five accused and recovered seven kg heroin from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.
Those arrested have been identified as Deepak Singh, alias Deepu (22), a resident of Harkrishan Nagar in Chheharta, Amritsar; Prince Singh, alias Prince, a resident of Kohala village in Amritsar; Rajinder Singh, alias Ghuddu (23), Randeep Singh, alias Dil (19), and Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi (21), all residents of Sensra Kalan village in Amritsar.
Apart from recovering heroin, police teams have also impounded one motorcycle being used for drug trafficking.
DGP Yadav said preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested accused were in contact with a Pakistan-based smuggler, who was sending consignments via drones and coordinating the distribution of drugs across the state through local handlers.
The DGP said that further investigation is underway to establish the forward and backward linkages of this drug-smuggling network. Sharing operational details, Commissioner of Police (Amritsar) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that in a targeted operation based on reliable input, police teams arrested Deepak Singh and recovered 1.3 kg of heroin from his possession.
During further interrogation, an additional 2.6 kg of heroin was recovered, making the total recovery 4.04 kg of heroin, he said.
He said that during further investigation regarding the common Pakistan-based handler, police teams arrested three more accused -- Rajinder, Randeep, and Gurpreet, and 1.01 kg of heroin from his possession.
On further disclosure of the arrested accused, their fourth associate, Prince Singh, was also apprehended, and two kg of heroin was recovered from his possession, he added.
The Police Commissioner said that the accused, Deepak, has a prior criminal record under the NDPS Act, with a case registered at Khanna town.
Two cases under Section 21-C of the NDPS Act at the police station in Chheharta and under Section 21-C of the NDPS Act at the police station in Amritsar Cantonment have been registered.
--IANS
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