Punjab Police: In a latest crackdown on the trans-border smuggling network, the Punjab police on Wednesday arrested at least two men and recovered 10 kg heroin with arms and ammunition from their possession.
This comes barely three days after the authorities busted a complex cross-border drug smuggling cartel by arresting its two kingpins and seizing 10 kg of heroin as well as a high-tech drone from them.
According to Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, the arrested duo have been identified as Harshdeep Singh of Thaman village and Sarwan Singh alias Sabba of Shahur Kalan village, both in Gurdaspur.
Notably, the police also recovered at least two .30-bore foreign-made pistols along with four magazines and 180 live cartridges from their possession.
The duo was arrested near Thaman village in Punjab
Meanwhile, DGP Yadav stated that police teams of Counter Intelligence (CI), Pathankot carried out a special operation near village Thaman, and arrested the duo. He said they were apprehended when they were walking home after retrieving the consignment of drugs and weapons pushed by Pakistan-based smugglers through fences with the help of a pipe at Border Outpost (BOP) Chauntra (Dorangala, Gurdaspur).
Preliminary investigations revealed that both the drug smugglers were in contact with Pakistan-based smuggler Rehmat Miyan, he added.
Additional Inspector General of Counter Intelligence, Pathankot, Amarjit Singh Bajwa said Sarwan is a notorious drug smuggler and had served seven years imprisonment before being bailed out in 2018.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered under various provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Arms Act at the Police Station State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar.
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Punjab police arrested 21 people under special operation
Earlier on December 23, the Punjab police had launched a special operation and arrested at least 21 people and seized a large amount of drugs. The state-wide coordinated special operation "OPS Eagle" was conducted to search and round-up suspicious people in vulnerable locations for their verification.
The checking was conducted at 110 railway stations, and 153 bus stands. Also, 500 checkpoints were set up involving over 5,000 police personnel for a thorough search of vehicles, the police officials said. Additional Director General of Police (law and order) Arpit Shukla reiterated that such operations would continue till the menace of drugs and gangsters is wiped out from the state.
(With inputs from PTI)
ALSO READ: 'OPS Eagle': Punjab police arrests 21 people, seizes drugs during special operation
