Two Held in Punjab as Police Seize 2 Kg Heroin, Six Foreign-Made Pistols
Punjab Police have dismantled a cross-border illegal arms and drug smuggling network with the arrest of two alleged operatives and the seizure of more than 2 kg of heroin , six sophisticated pistols , and 12 live cartridges , Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Wednesday.
The arrested accused have been identified as Sukhdev Singh alias Sukh (23) , a resident of Chicha village, and Harjinder Singh alias Jinder (37) , a resident of Lodhi neGujjar village, both in Amritsar district. According to police, both are habitual offenders with previous criminal cases related to kidnapping and illegal possession of arms.
The recovered weapons include one .30 bore pistol made in China , two 9mm Glock pistols made in Austria , one 9mm Glock pistol made in the United States , and two .30 bore pistols made in Turkey .
DGP Yadav said preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were in contact with cross-border smugglers and were allegedly receiving consignments of heroin and weapons through drones from across the international border. The contraband was reportedly intended for distribution among criminal elements in Punjab.
Police are continuing investigations to establish both forward and backward linkages and identify other members of the network.
Amritsar Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the operation was launched based on specific intelligence inputs. Police first apprehended Sukhdev Singh and recovered heroin from his possession. During questioning, investigators uncovered his alleged role in drug trafficking.
Further investigation led to the arrest of Harjinder Singh, from whom four pistols were recovered. Based on his disclosure, police subsequently recovered two more pistols from a location identified by him.
Bhullar added that Sukhdev was also wanted in an earlier case registered at Chheharta Police Station, in which four of his associates had been arrested with seven pistols and 12 live cartridges.