In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a drug free state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) has busted a drug trafficking module with the arrest of a drug smuggler and recovered 5.084 kg heroin, 1.681 kg ICE (Methamphetamine) and ₹6,50,000 drug money from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday. The operation was conducted by the ANTF Rupnagar Range.
The arrested accused has been identified as Akashdeep Singh, a resident of Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran. Apart from recovering contraband and drug money, police teams have also recovered one leather bag and two electronic weighing machines, and impounded his white Chevrolet Cruze car (DL 82 AP 9522), which he was using to deliver the drug consignments.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed links of arrested accused with key handler, who coordinates the delivery and distribution of drug consignments across the Tricity. The DGP said that further investigation is underway to trace backward and forward linkages in this case to dismantle the entire network.
Sharing operational details, AIG ANTF Rupnagar Range AS Aulakh said that acting on specific intelligence about the accused and his associates had retrieved a large consignment of contraband and were hiding in a flat at Nature Hut 3 in Kharar, an ANTF team led by DSP ANTF Yogesh Kumar conducted raid at the flat.
"During the raid, police teams have managed to arrest suspect Akashdeep, while two of his associates managed to flee by jumping from the balcony of the flat into an adjacent empty plot," he said. The AIG said that further investigation is ongoing and raids are being conducted to nab the two absconding accused persons. More recoveries are likely in coming days, he added.
In this regard, a case FIR No. 305 dated 24-11-2025 has been registered under sections 21-C and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station ANTF Mohali.