FIVE LINKED TO CROSS-BORDER SMUGGLING MODULE HELD WITH 21KG HEROIN, 970GMs ICE AND ONE PISTOL
— KEY ACCUSED WAS IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH A FOREIGN-BASED SMUGGLER, SAYS DGP GAURAV YADAV
— FOREIGN-BASED SMUGGLER FACILITATED HEROIN AND ILLEGAL WEAPONS SMUGGLING FOR FURTHER DISTRIBUTION: CP AMRITSAR
CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, August 7 (WISHAVWARTA):- In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busts a cross-border narcotics and illegal arms smuggling module with the arrest of five individuals and recovered 21.299 kg heroin, 970 grams ICE (Methamphetamine) and one illegal .30 bore pistol along with four live cartridges from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.
Those arrested have been identified as Gagan alias Dishka (23) and Jaspinder Singh (25), both residents of village Nikosaran in Gurdaspur; Sukhpreet Singh alias Sukh (30), a resident of Adda Jentipur in Amritsar Rural; Abhishek Sabharwal alias Abhi (25), a resident of Sharma Colony in Amritsar; and Manpreet Singh alias Mannu (26), a resident of village Channanke in Amritsar Rural.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the key accused was in direct contact with a foreign-based smuggler, who facilitated the smuggling of heroin and illegal weapons across the International Border for further distribution. Further investigation is underway to establish the forward and backward linkages of the cross-border smuggling network and identify all persons associated with the cross-border handlers, he said.
Sharing operational details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar said that acting on reliable intelligence, police teams first arrested accused Gagan alias Dishka and Jaspinder Singh, and one pistol along with four live cartridges was recovered during their sear. Police further recovered 1.01 kg heroin and 970 grams ICE on the basis of their disclosure statements, he said.
During further investigation, the arrested accused disclosed the involvement of their associates, said the CP, while adding that acting swiftly on their disclosures, police teams arrested Sukhpreet alias Sukh, Abhishek Sabharwal alias Abhi and Manpreet alias Mannu, and recovered 20.2 kg heroin from their possession.
The CP said that investigation has revealed that accused Sukhpreet alias Sukh is a habitual offender and has previously been involved in cases registered under the NDPS Act and the Arms Act.
In this regard, a case FIR No. 24 dated 29.07.2026 under sections 25(6,7,8) of the Arms Act and sections 21-C, 22-C and 29 of the NDPS Act has been registered at Police Station Airport in Amritsar.
