Two cross-border modules of drug, arms trafficking busted

Acting on a tip-off, the anti-narcotics task force (ANTF), Amritsar range, busted two cross-border modules of drug and arms trafficking by arresting three traffickers on Wednesday. Those arrested were identified as Maninderjit Singh of Fatehgarh Churian, Peter and Lovejit Singh, alias Raja, of Dharamkot Randhawa village in Dera Baba Nanak area.

The police confiscated 521grams of heroin along with four PX5 Storm pistols, seven magazines, 55 live cartridges and two bikes from the possession of the three drug traffickers. The consignment was reportedly smuggled from Pakistan via drones.

Director General Punjab Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said both the modules were being operated by a foreign-based handler who had links with Pakistan-based drug traffickers. The accused were arrested near Shankar Dhaba on the Attari road on Wednesday. As per information, the Maninderjit Singh had retrieved a consignment of drugs from Dhanoe Kalan border village, while Peter and Lovejit had taken out arms consignment from Rajatal border village in Attari.

“The police have recovered numbers of Pakistan’s smugglers from mobile phones of the accused. Further probe is on into the matter,” said Gurpreet Singh, Superintendent of Police (SP), ANTF.

Earlier, Maninderjit Singh had been to Saudi Arabia and Qatar where he came in contact with cross-border drug traffickers with the help of foreign-based handler, the SP said. He was now working as a “bouncer”, he said. Peter had applied for shifting to Hong Kong, he added. Maninderjit was in the illegal trade for past one month, while it was first smuggling attempt by other two smugglers, the SP said.

He said the ANTF was actively pursuing both forward and backward links to dismantle the entire drug supply network.

A case under the NDPS Act and Arms Act was registered against the three accused at the ANTF police station in Mohali, the SP said.

Amritsar