Latest arrests expose another strong node of the trans-border cartel operating in Tarn Taran & Amritsar Rural : DGP
Pak-based smugglers were using drones to drop heroin & weapon consignments : Gurpreet Bhullar
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh/Amritsar-
Acting swiftly on forward-backward linkages in the 8.1 kg heroin recovery case, Commissionerate Police Amritsar has arrested four more drug smugglers and recovered 12 kg of heroin along with .30 bore pistol and a magazine from their possession, taking the total seizure of heroin in this case to 20.1 kg, said DGP Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday.
Those arrested have been identified Gurbhej Singh (50) and his son Gurdit Singh (22), both residents of village Narla in Tarn Taran; Malkit Singh (50) of village Dall in Tarn Taran and Gurjit Singh (29) of village Kotli Saka in Ajnala, Amritsar.
The development came close on the heels of Punjab Police busted a heroin trafficking cartel with the arrest of the notorious drug smuggler identified as Soni Singh alias Soni along with his four associates— Gursewak Singh, Vishaldeep Singh alias Gola, Gurpreet Singh and Arshdeep Singh— and recovered 8.1kg heroin from their possession.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the latest arrests have exposed another strong node of the trans-border cartel operating in Tarn Taran and Amritsar Rural sectors. All accused persons were using WhatsApp to communicate with each other and with the Pakistan-based smugglers, he said.
The DGP said that further investigations are ongoing to establish forward and backward linkages in this case. More arrests and recoveries are likely in coming days, he added.
Sharing operation details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that during interrogation, arrested drug smuggler Gursewak Singh revealed that a father-son duo, Gurbhej Singh and Gurdit Singh, along with Malkit Singh, were running the drug syndicate in the area. Gurbhej Singh was coordinating smuggling operations in the border area of the Tarn Taran sector and maintained direct contact with Pakistan-based smugglers, he said.
The CP said that accused Gurbhej Singh had been receiving consignments via drone drop-offs in fields owned by his associate, Malkit Singh, located close to the International border.
Accused Gurbhej was using cattle-sheds to safely conceal the heroin consignments, he said, while adding that following his disclosure, 10 kg of heroin was recovered from an earthen pit in plastic containers at his house.
CP Gurpreet Bhullar said that further investigation in this case has led to the identification and arrest of Gurjit Singh. During search of the latter’s house, 2.006 kg of heroin, along with a .30 bore pistol and a magazine, were recovered, he said, while adding that the pistol was concealed inside his bed mattress.
In this regard, a case FIR No. 177 dated 06-09-2025 had already been registered under sections 21-B, 27-A, 21-C and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Chheharta in Amritsar.