Six arrested in cross-border narcotics smuggling case in Chandigarh

Chandigarh [India], August 21 (ANI): An interstate and cross-border drug syndicate has been busted, resulting in the arrest of six people in Chandigarh, police said on Thursday.

A contraband worth nearly Rs 1.25 crore has been recovered from their possession, officials added.

The operation was carried out under the supervision of SP (Crime) Jasbir Singh, with close monitoring by DSP (Crime) Dhiraj Kumar, and led by Inspector Satvinder, SHO of Police Station-Crime, Sector 11.

According to SP (Crime) Jasbir Singh, the chain of arrests began on August 5 when ASI Naseeb Singh, during patrolling duty in Chandigarh, received secret information and apprehended a woman named Pooja, daughter of a notorious peddler from Sector 38, with 54 grams of cocaine. Her interrogation revealed links to a larger supply network.

On the basis of her disclosures, multiple raids were conducted in the Tricity area and Punjab, which eventually led to the arrest of five more accused, exposing the interstate as well as international dimensions of the racket, the official added.

Those arrested include Sameer, a 21-year-old resident of Sector 25, who was supplying drugs to local peddlers and was found in possession of 58 grams of cocaine and 9 grams of heroin. He reportedly sourced his supply from Mohd. Juned, also of Sector 25, was arrested with 45 grams of heroin.

Juned was allegedly in direct contact with Pakistan-based handler Zubair Rana through Instagram and WhatsApp and procured narcotics from his counterparts in Amritsar.

Nihal Singh, a 31-year-old resident of Amritsar who had already been booked earlier this year in Panchkula under the NDPS Act, was caught with 36 grams of heroin, police said.

Another accused, Sahibjeet Singh alias Sabhu, aged 24, from Ajnala in Amritsar, was arrested with 23 grams of heroin. He is said to have been handling accounts for drug transactions and working as a courier for the network, apart from having a past involvement in an NDPS case in Panchkula, the police further said.

The sixth accused, Amritpal Singh alias Gopi, also 24 and from Ajnala, was identified by police as the kingpin of the syndicate.

He was found with 538 grams of heroin and was allegedly coordinating directly with the Pakistan-based supplier. According to investigators, he arranged cross-border deliveries using drones and employed local receivers to collect the consignments.

One of these associates, Yugraj from Amritsar, was recently arrested by the Punjab Police after being caught while collecting a drone drop containing 560 grams of heroin.

Altogether, the Chandigarh Police recovered 654 grams of heroin, 112 grams of cocaine, and a scooter used in trafficking during the operation. Investigators estimated the value of the seized drugs at about Rs 1.25 crore.

The police said that the arrested individuals formed a crucial part of an organised network that spanned from Chandigarh to Amritsar and extended across the border into Pakistan.

The accused were allegedly in constant touch with Pakistan-based handler Zubair Rana, who belongs to the Padhana area of Lahore and is suspected to be the mastermind behind sending narcotics into India through drones, officials stated.

Officials said the arrests have not only dismantled a significant drug supply chain in the region but also exposed the methods used by international smugglers to push drugs into India. While Pooja and Sameer supplied narcotics to local addicts in Chandigarh, Juned, Nihal, Sahibjeet, and Amritpal were part of the wider cross-border syndicate connected to Pakistan.

Police officers stated that the accused were attempting to expand their network further into the Tricity, targeting new buyers and peddlers.

All six accused are currently in judicial or police custody. With investigations continuing, the police are tracking financial transactions, digital communications, and cross-border linkages to establish the full extent of the racket, he added.

Senior officials of Chandigarh Police said the operation marks a decisive step in the effort to choke the supply of narcotics into the city and dismantle networks operating at both local and international levels. (ANI)

Disclaimer: This news article is a direct feed from ANI and has not been edited by the News Nation team. The news agency is solely responsible for its content.