Cross-Border Drug Smuggling Ring Busted: Punjab Police

The Punjab Police Thursday said it has busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket with the arrest of one person after recovering six kilograms of heroin and Rs 1.50 lakh cash from his possession.
     
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the accused has been identified as Shinder Singh, a resident of village Bute Dian Chhana in Mehatpur, Jalandhar.
     
The accused is a habitual drug smuggler and has already been facing two criminal cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
     
DGP Yadav said the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Amritsar had received reliable input that accused Shinder Singh and his accomplices had recently procured the big consignment of heroin pushed into the Indian territory by the Pakistan-based smugglers and agencies using the riverine route in Ferozepur sector, and they are present around Amritsar to deliver the consignment to someone.
     
"Acting promptly, the Special Police team of SSOC Amritsar launched an operation and cordoned off the area in a planned manner resulting in the arrest of accused Shinder Singh," Yadav said.
    
Assistant Inspector General, SSOC, Sukhminder Singh Mann said it has come to light that the Pakistan-based smugglers have exploited a gap — emerged due to floods — in the fencing along the river to smuggle the drug consignment via the riverine route in the Ferozepur sector a few days back.
     
He said further investigations are being conducted to unearth the entire network of drug suppliers, dealers, and their buyers.
     
Efforts are being made to probe their backward and forward linkages to taܫke the investigations to the logical conclusion by the arrest of remaining members of this group, he added.