Daijiworld Media Network- Amritsar
Amritsar, Apr 11: In a major breakthrough in the fight against narco-terrorism and illegal financial transactions, the Amritsar Rural Police, in a coordinated effort with intelligence inputs, arrested three individuals allegedly involved in cross-border drug trafficking and hawala operations.
The crackdown led to the seizure of 500 grams of heroin, a 9mm Glock pistol with two magazines, and Rs 33 lac in hawala money.
The accused have been identified as Ranjit Singh alias Rana, Gurdev Singh alias Gedi, and Shailendra Singh alias Selu. The arrests were made by the Special Cell of Amritsar Rural Police following sustained surveillance and intelligence gathering.
“In a significant move to dismantle narco-hawala networks operating in the border belt, our team arrested three key operatives involved in smuggling narcotics and moving illicit funds,” said DGP Gaurav Yadav, commending the swift action. A case has been registered at Lopoke Police Station, and further investigation is underway to identify both forward and backward linkages of this transnational network.
Meanwhile, in a parallel operation, the Border Security Force (BSF) thwarted a drone-based smuggling attempt from across the border. Acting swiftly upon detecting drone movement near the Amritsar border, BSF personnel launched a combing operation late last night.
By 11:10 p.m., BSF troops recovered a packet of suspected heroin, and by early morning on April 10, two more packets were retrieved near Hashimpura village in the Amritsar sector. The three packets, weighing a total of 1.666 kg, were wrapped in yellow adhesive tape and bore illumination sticks and steel rings – a clear indication of drone-assisted smuggling.
BSF officials reiterated their commitment to zero tolerance towards narcotics smuggling and lauded the alertness of the troops.
The twin operations mark a significant success for Punjab security forces in their ongoing efforts to disrupt the nexus of drugs, illegal arms, and hawala transactions in the sensitive border region.