In a major blow to trans-border drug trafficking networks amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a drug free state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Kapurthala Police has busted a Pak-backed narcotics smuggling module with the arrest of its four operatives, including a woman, and recovered 16.8 kg heroin from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.
Those arrested have been identified as Balwinder Singh of Pandori Mohalla in Sultanpur Lodhi; Sumanpreet Kaur of Gohalwar in Amritsar; Harpal Singh and Jaskaranbir Singh, both residents of village Dauke in Amritsar. Apart from recovering heroin haul, police teams have also impounded their grey Maruti Baleno car, in which they were travelling.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the drug trafficking was being orchestrated at the behest of Pakistan and Dubai-based handlers. The consignment was brought from the Amritsar border area and was intended for delivery in Chandigarh, he said.
The DGP said that further investigation is underway to establish forward and backward linkages in this case to unearth the entire network. More arrests and recoveries are likely in coming days, he added.
Sharing the operational details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kapurthala Gaurav Toora said that acting on secret information, a strategic trap was laid by the Phagwara Police teams. “When the police intercepted the suspects' Baleno car, the accused attempted to run over the police party to escape.
After a high-speed chase, the police had to fire rounds at the vehicle's tires to bring it to a halt," said the SSP, while adding that a subsequent search of the vehicle led to the recovery of 16.8 kg of heroin. In this regard, a case FIR No. 27 dated 07.04.2026 has been registered under section 21C of the NDPS Act and section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station Sadar Phagwara.