Cross-border drug smuggling racket busted, one held with 3.5-kg heroin

The Counter-Intelligence (CI), Ferozepur, has busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket with the arrest of a drug smuggler and recovered 3.5 kg heroin from his possession, said director general of police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav on Tuesday.

The arrested accused has been identified as Sukhdev Singh alias Sukhi, a resident of Mohan Ke Uttar in Ferozepur. Apart from recovering heroin, police teams have also impounded his motorcycle.

The DGP said that preliminary investigation revealed that the accused was in direct contact with a Pakistan-based smuggler, who was using drones to drop the drug consignments from across the border. Further investigation is underway to trace the forward and backward linkages in this case, he added.

The AIG, Counter-Intelligence, Ferozepur, Gursewak Singh Brar said that following a reliable input about involvement of accused Sukhdev Sukhi in smuggling activities, police teams from the CI, Ferozepur, launched an intelligence-based operation in the area of Lakho Ke Behram village in Ferozepur and apprehended him along with seven packets of heroin, weighing 500 gram each, kept in a plastic bag.

He said that the accused was going to deliver the consignment to someone, when police teams apprehended him. Efforts are being made to uncover the entire network of suppliers, dealers, and buyers, as well as to identify the person to whom accused Sukhi was to deliver the drug consignment, he said, adding that more recoveries and arrests are likely in the coming days.

A case has been registered under section 21-C of the NDPS Act at Police Station State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Fazilka. The accused will be produced before the court to obtain police remand for further investigation.