In a big blow to trans-border narcotic smuggling networks amidst the ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police have busted a cross-border drug and arms smuggling racket being operated by Pakistan-based smugglers with the arrest of a key person after recovering 2 Kg Ice Drug (Methamphetamine), said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.
The arrested smuggler has been identified as Simranjit Singh alias Simar Maan, a resident of Village Gaggarmal in Amritsar. Apart from seizing a consignment of Ice Drugs, Police teams have also recovered a highly sophisticated .30-bore Chinese Pistol along with five live cartridges from his possession.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the arrested accused was directly in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers Pathan and Amer, who were supplying him with Ice drugs and weapons from across the border using a drone. The arrested accused further used to supply the Ice drugs across the state, he said, while adding that investigations are ongoing to establish backward and forward linkages.
Sharing more details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar following reliable inputs about the attempt to influx of large quantity of Ice drug and weapon consignment by Pak-based smugglers in the state, Police teams from CIA Staff-1 under supervision of DCP Harpreet Mandher, ADCP CITY-3 Abhimanyu Rana and ACP West Kamaljeet Aulakh carried out an extensive operation at in Chheharta area here.
He said that Police teams had managed to arrest the accused Simar Maan, when he was waiting for someone to deliver this consignment. CP Bhullar said that further investigations are being conducted to unearth the whole network of drug suppliers, dealers and their buyers. Efforts are being made to ascertain the total amount of narcotics procured by the arrested accused so far, he added.
A case FIR no. 2 dated 3.1.2024 has been registered under sections 21 and 22 of the NDPS Act and section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Chheharta in Amritsar Commissionerate. It is pertinent to mention here that the commercial quantity of Heroin is 250 Grams, whereas, the commercial quantity of Ice Drugs is 50 Grams.