Chandigarh, Jan 3 : In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police have successfully dismantled a cross-border drug and weapon smuggling cartel, arresting 12 individuals, including five from Jammu and Kashmir, with the help of J&K Police.
The arrested kingpin, Manjeet Singh alias Bhola, hails from Jhanjoti village in Ajnala, Punjab. The other 11 arrested members of the cartel include Aniket Verma, Jobanpreet Singh alias Joban, Babli, Harpreet Singh alias Happy, Amritpal Singh alias Ansh, Reshma, Harshpreet Singh alias Harman, Mandeep Singh alias Kaushal, Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, Lovepreet Singh alias Jashan, and Akashdeep Singh alias Arsh.
During the operation, the police seized 2.19 kg of heroin, three sophisticated firearms, including two automatic pistols, Rs 2.60 lakh in drug money, and a Toyota Fortuner car.
Punjab DGP, Gaurav Yadav, stated that the primary accused, Manjeet Singh, had direct links with Pakistan-based smugglers. Manjeet received consignments of drugs and weapons across the border, which were being dropped in the Ramdas and Ajnala sectors with the aid of drones. The police investigation is ongoing, with efforts to uncover both the forward and backward links of the smuggling network.
Amritsar Police Commissioner, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, explained that Aniket Verma’s arrest led to the uncovering of the entire network, eventually leading to the capture of Manjeet and his accomplices. Five of the arrested individuals were apprehended in Jammu and Kashmir with the assistance of J&K Police.
The investigation also revealed that Babli, an Anganwadi worker, had been storing the smuggled consignments at her residence, and the network used her home to distribute the illegal goods.
Further arrests and recoveries are expected as the investigation continues. A case has been registered under sections 21(B), (C)/27-A and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Chheharta in Amritsar.
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