In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Commissionerate Police Amritsar has dismantled a drug trafficking cartel with the arrest of four individuals, including one woman and seized 5 kg heroin from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.
Those arrested have been identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi (19) and Baljeet Kaur (32), both resident of village Muthiaval in Tarn Taran; Maninder Singh (34), a resident of Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran and Harpreet Singh (26), a resident of Lodhi Gujar village in Amritsar. Apart from recovering heroin, police teams have also impounded two motorcycles.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that all the accused persons were in direct contact with Pakistan-based smugglers and receiving consignments of drugs from across the border. Probe revealed that consignments were being dropped with the help of drones, he added. The DGP said that further investigations are going on to establish backward and forward linkages in this case.
More arrests and recoveries are likely in coming days, he added. Sharing operation details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that acting on reliable information, a police team led by DCP Harpreet Singh Mander, ADCP Investigation Navjot Singh, and ACP Detective Kuldeep Singh, under the supervision of CIA Staff-1 in-charge Inspector Amolkdeep Singh, conducted a targeted operation and apprehended Gurpreet Singh and Baljeet Kaur in the area of Guru ki Wadali along with 3 kg heroin on January 1 this year.
It was revealed that Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi and Baljeet Kaur are related as nephew and aunt. Baljeet Kaur’s husband, Balbir Singh, was arrested in 2022 under the NDPS Act by the Hindumalkot Police Station in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, where 5 kg of heroin was recovered from him. He is currently lodged in Karnpur Jail, Rajasthan.
The CP said that efforts are being made to uncover the entire network of suppliers, dealers, and buyers, as well as to ascertain the total quantity of drugs purchased by the arrested individuals so far. A case under FIR No. 1, dated January 1, 2025, has been registered under sections 21(c), 23, and 29/61/85 of the NDPS Act at Chheharta Police Station, Amritsar.