Chandigarh, Sep 7 (IANS): Punjab Police has arrested a drug trafficker identified as Malkiat Singh, who sent three swimmers to collect a consignment of 50 kg heroin from Pakistan, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said here on Thursday.

"Police teams have seized 9 kg heroin, a portion of the 50 kg heroin consignment, from his possession," he said, adding 22.5 kg of the narcotics had already been recovered.

The development came in less than a month after the Jalandhar Rural Police had arrested drug smuggler Joga Singh, who swam into the Pakistan jurisdiction to retrieve the heroin consignment and 8 kg heroin.

Earlier, Amritsar Police had arrested drug smuggler Shinder Singh after recovering 10 kg heroin and Rs 1.5 lakh drug money from his possession.

A woman drug smuggler, Amandeep Kaur, a.k.a. 'Deep Bhai', linked to this module was also arrested with 1 kg heroin, while another drug smuggler Shinderpal was arrested with 500 grams heroin from Mehatpur.

DGP Yadav said following forward and backwards linkages in this case Jalandhar Rural Police have arrested Malkiat Singh, who is resident of Tendi Wala village in Ferozepur, and recovered the heroin kept in his shoulder bag.

Divulging details, SSP Jalandhar (Rural) Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar said Malkiat revealed that he was in regular touch with a Pakistan-based drug smuggler Haider Ali, who helped him in smuggle the heroin consignments to India in lieu of hawala operator.

"Malkiat Singh also revealed that he had sent Joga Singh along with two more persons to Pakistan using a riverine route to fetch the 50 kg heroin consignment, which was equally distributed between his party and Joga Singh's party," he said.