CHANDIGARH, Jan 3: The Punjab Police have dismantled a cross-border drug and weapon trafficking network, resulting in the arrest of 12 individuals. Among those apprehended, five were taken into custody in Jammu and Kashmir with assistance from the J&K Police.
The Director General of Police (DGP) of Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, announced on Friday that among the arrested is the main suspect, Manjeet Singh, also known as Bhola, from Jhanjoti village in Ajnala. The other 11 arrested individuals have been identified as Aniket Verma from Cheharta, Jobanpreet Singh (Joban) from Cheharta, Babli from Naraingarh in Cheharta, Harpreet Singh (Happy) from Guru Ki Wadali, Amritpal Singh (Ansh) from Naraingarh in Cheharta, Reshma from Kartar Nagar in Cheharta, Harshpreet Singh (Harman or Hamma) from Thanda village in Amritsar, Mandeep Singh (Kaushal or Joshi) from Fatehpur village in Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh (Gopi) from Fatehpur village, Lovepreet Singh (Jashan) from Fatehpur village, and Akashdeep Singh (Arsh) from Cheharta.
Authorities have seized 2.19 kg of heroin, three advanced firearms (including two automatic pistols), and ₹2.60 lakh in drug money, along with a Toyota Fortuner vehicle.
DGP Yadav stated that the main suspect, Manjeet alias Bhola, was in direct contact with smugglers based in Pakistan, facilitating the delivery of drugs and weapons across the border. Investigations revealed that delivery consignments were being dropped off at the Ramdas and Ajnala border sectors using drones. The DGP added that further investigations are underway to establish both upstream and downstream connections in this case.
Providing more information, Commissioner of Police Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, mentioned that following credible information regarding Aniket’s involvement in drug trafficking, police teams acted swiftly to apprehend him. Aniket’s arrest exposed the entire smuggling network, leading to the capture of kingpin Manjeet and his associates across various locations.
The Commissioner also noted that five accused were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir with the aid of J&K Police. It has been revealed that Manjeet utilized the residence of Babli, an Anganwari worker and one of the arrested women, to store illicit consignments and relied on his accomplices for further distribution.
Ongoing investigations aim to unravel the entire operation, with additional arrests and recoveries expected in the coming days. A case has been registered under sections 21(B), (C)/27-A and 29 of the NDPS Act at the Chheharta Police Station in Amritsar.
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