CHANDIGARH: Three youths in their 20s were arrested by the Anti Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Punjab Police in Ferozepur, with 30.672 kg of heroin allegedly smuggled into India from Pakistan through a drone, the police said on Tuesday.
Director General of Police, Punjab, Gaurav Yadav said here on Tuesday that those arrested have been identified as Anmolpreet Singh alias Anmol (24) of Kasuri Gate in Ferozepur, Akash Singh alias Akash (22) of Gulam Pattra village in Ferozepur and presently residing at Sant Kabir Nagar in Ferozepur, and Anshpreet Singh alias Ansh (25) of Raj Ghat in Ferozepur.
Apart from the heroin, the police also recovered a Hyundai Verna car (PB-77-5973), which was allegedly being used for smuggling activities.
The development came a few days after the Punjab Police, in a joint operation with the Border Security Force (BSF), busted a major cross-border narcotics smuggling module with the arrest of two individuals and recovered 30.200 kg of heroin from their possession.
Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the consignment was sent across the International Border by a foreign based drug smuggler and received by an Indian smuggler in the area of Ali Ke village in Ferozepur for further transportation and distribution.
“Further investigation is underway to establish the backward and forward linkages of the network to identify all persons connected with the cross border handlers,” he said.
Sharing operational details, Additional Director General of Police, ANTF, Nilabh Kishore said that acting on concrete human intelligence regarding the movement of the heavy consignment of contraband after its retrieval, ANTF teams led by SP, ANTF Ferozepur Range, Gurinderbir Singh, laid an extensive and foolproof trap on the Ferozepur Fazilka road.
The coordinated interception led to the apprehension of the three suspects, who were travelling in their Hyundai Verna car, he said. During a search of the vehicle, 30.672 kg of heroin was recovered.
He said that more arrests and recoveries are likely in the coming days as the investigation progresses.
According to the police, the consignment had been smuggled into India from Pakistan through a drone.
In this regard, a case has been registered under Sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act at the ANTF police station in SAS Nagar.