Chandigarh, Feb 19 (IANS): In an Intelligence-based operation, Punjab Police apprehended Harmandeep Singh from Mahal village in Amritsar district and recovered 10 kg heroin, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Wednesday.

The arrested man was constantly in touch with Pakistan-based smuggler Chacha Bawa, who sent heroin via drones in the Attari sector for further distribution, he said.

A First Information Report (FIR) under the NDPS Act has been registered and further investigation is underway to identify other associates.

Earlier, in one of the biggest heroin seizures of this year, Amritsar Rural Police last week busted a cross-border smuggling racket with the arrest of a drug smuggler and recovered 30 kg heroin from his possession.

The arrested accused was identified as Gursimranjit Singh, alias Simran, a resident of Baserke Gillan in Gharindha in Amritsar.

DGP Yadav had informed that the accused Gursimranjit Singh was involved in large-scale heroin smuggling, and it was reported that he had recently received a large consignment of heroin smuggled from across the border.

A probe also suggested that Pakistan-based smugglers had used drones to transport the drug consignment.

The DGP informed that further investigations were ongoing to identify more individuals involved and to trace the origins of the smuggling network.

Sharing operation details, Senior Superintendent of Police (Amritsar Rural), Charanjit Singh, said that acting on an intel-input about the involvement of accused Gursimranjit Singh in smuggling of narcotics, police teams from Amritsar Rural Police led by SHO Gharinda stopped a Ford Fiesta car for routine checking.

Upon conducting a thorough search, four packets of heroin, weighing 7.5 kg each, were found in a black bag, which was kept concealed in the vehicle.

The SSP said the accused is being interrogated to gather more details about the source and distribution network involved in this smuggling operation.