In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Tarn Taran Police has busted a Pak-backed drug trafficking cartel with the arrest of a kingpin and seized 5 kg heroin from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.
The arrested accused has been identified as Rashpal Singh, a resident of Village Bhai Ladhu, Tarn Taran. Apart from recovering heroin, police teams have also impounded his motorcycle. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that accused person was in direct contact with multiple Pakistan-based smugglers and had been receiving consignments of drugs from across the border.
Probe revealed that the Pak-based smugglers were exploiting drones to ferry drugs across the border, he added. The DGP said that further investigations are going on to establish backward and forward linkages in this case.
More arrests and recoveries are likely in coming days, he added. Sharing operation details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Tarn Taran Abhimanyu Rana said that acting on reliable information, a police team under the supervision of SP (D) Ajayraj Singh, DSP (D) Rajinder Minhas and DSP Sarbjit Singh Bajwa led by CIA Staff in-charge Inspector Amandeep Singh, conducted a targeted operation and apprehended Rashpal Singh in the area of Village Bhai Ladhu and recovered 5 kg heroin from his possession.
The SSP said that efforts are being made to uncover the entire network of suppliers, dealers, and buyers, as well as to ascertain the total quantity of drugs purchased by the arrested individual so far. A case under FIR No. 06 dated January 15, 2025, has been registered under sections 21(c) of the NDPS Act at Sadar Patti Police Station, Tarn Taran.