How did Punjab Police dismantle a cross-border smuggling operation?

Chandigarh, Sep 20 (NationPress) In a significant effort to transform Punjab into a secure and drug-free region, following the directives of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar has successfully dismantled a cross-border drug smuggling operation overseen by a foreign handler, Harpal Singh. They apprehended one of the operatives, recovering 5 kg of heroin in the process, as stated by Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Saturday.

The detained individual has been identified as Pawandeep Singh, a resident of Beharwal in Amritsar. During interrogation, Pawandeep disclosed that he was acting under the instructions of his foreign handler, Harpal Singh, who hails from Kohala village in Amritsar but is currently residing in the USA.

According to Yadav, Harpal Singh maintains direct contact with smugglers based in Pakistan and has coordinated multiple drug and weapon consignments across the border using drones.

Further investigations revealed that Harpal Singh, who relocated to the USA approximately two years ago, initially had a clean history but seems to have become embroiled in the drug trade after his settlement abroad.

Detailing the operation, DGP Yadav mentioned that CI Amritsar received precise intelligence regarding the retrieval of narcotics consignments from the Indo-Pakistan border near Dhanoe Kalan village in Amritsar.

Acting promptly, the police intercepted Pawandeep Singh near Beharwal village while he was en route to deliver the drugs and seized the narcotics from him.

Ongoing investigations aim to uncover both the forward and backward linkages of this network to fully expose its operations.

A case was registered on September 19 under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act at the State Special Operation Cell Police Station in Amritsar.

In a recent development against cross-border narco-terror networks, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police dismantled two additional narcotics cartels, arresting six traffickers and seizing 9.066 kg of heroin, as reported by DGP Gaurav Yadav on Thursday.

The individuals arrested include Honey, 18, Parmdeep Singh, alias Paras, 18, Harwinder Singh, alias Hinda, 19, Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi, 25, Jasbir Kaur, 40, and Kulwinder Kaur, 54.

This development follows the prior disruption of a drug smuggling syndicate run by Moga-based Jagpreet Singh, alias Jagga, with the key operative Yasin Mohammed being arrested and 7.1 kg of heroin seized.

DGP Yadav indicated that preliminary investigations revealed a notorious foreign gangster, Harpreet, alias Happy Jatt, originally from Jandiala Guru, who has established direct connections with smugglers in Pakistan, managing this network via social media.

Two FIRs have been filed at the police station in Chheharta, Amritsar, with ongoing investigations aimed at identifying broader networks and cross-border connections in both cases.