Fewer jobs, families in Punjab’s border belt caught in drug cycle

Anirudh Gupta

Tribune News Service

Ferozepur, July 9

When the police arrested Charanjit Kaur (55), alias Channo Bai, and her son Balwinder Singh (30), alias Babbu, on July 6 for heroin smuggling, it was another grim reminder of how deeply the drug trade has seeped into family life in Punjab’s border belt.

The duo was caught with 1.8 kg of heroin and two mobile phones. But this wasn’t the first brush with law for the family. Channo Bai’s younger son, Sukhwinder Singh, is already lodged in the central jail on similar charges. Her husband, also allegedly involved in the illicit trade, died some time ago. Now, the only person left at home is Balwinder’s wife, living alone in Nihale Wala village, just a few km from the Indo-Pakistan border. This is far from an isolated case. Police sources say entire families in this region have turned to drug smuggling as a way of life.

In the same village, the family of Lal Singh is under scanner. Lal, his wife Kaushalya Bai, their sons Joginder, alias Shammi and Sonu, and even their daughter have all been booked under the NDPS Act. In total, 38 cases have reportedly been filed against members of this one family. Recently, Lal Singh’s nephew, Kuldeep, was also arrested with heroin.

In nearby Chandiwala village, also close to the international border, police arrested two brothers — Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopy (20), and Sarabjit Singh (18) — last month and seized 2.91 kg of heroin. Similarly, Sonu (24) and Vishal (21), both from Zira, were caught with 1.5 kg of heroin and ?12.9 lakh.

Ferozepur SSP Bhupinder Singh said in cases where multiple family members were involved, the motive was often desperation. “These border families have little to no employment opportunities. With no steady income, they agree to act as couriers to make ends meet,” he explained.

But the role they play is limited — and dangerous. “They neither know the source nor the final destination of the drugs. They’re just conduits. By the time they realise the gravity of their actions, it’s often too late. In many cases, there’s no one left at home to even fight their legal battles,” he added.

A disturbing trend is the increasing use of women as drug couriers. To avoid suspicion, women are often pushed into the trade — sometimes unknowingly. Punjab State Women Commission Chairperson Raj Lali Gill recently flagged this issue during a visit to the region. “Most of the imprisoned women I met shared similar stories — they were coerced into smuggling drugs without understanding the consequences,” she said.

“Life moves at a snail’s pace in this part of Punjab,” said a retired police who was posted in the region. “It’s like the tail end of a canal — employment and opportunity trickle down to nothing. These families don’t own much land either. Once one member gets involved, others often follow — either to survive, pay legal fees or out of fear of retribution from larger drug networks.”

Some families have paid the price. Judge Singh (56) of Guruharsahai lost both his sons — Love (19) and Raj Kumar (22) — to drug overdoses. Charan Kaur of Basti Shekhan lost her husband and son to addiction.

Punjab