Gang involved in smuggling heroin from Pakistan using drone busted in Tarn Taran; two held
Police said gang members had received more than four consignments of drugs from across the border. A case against accused was registered. Two of the accused were arrested Monday.
Police on Monday claimed to have busted a gang involved in smuggling of heroin from across the border using drones, with the arrest of two of its members.
The arrested accused have been identified as Harjinder Singh alias Thodi and Jora Singh of Wan Tara Singh. Police have also identified three accomplices of the arrested men who are Gurlal Singh, Balraj Singh who is lodged in Faridkot jail, of the same village, and one Bikramjit Singh of Lopoke in Amritsar.
Police said the accused had received more than four consignments, including two in July—one of 6 kg and another of 7 kg of heroin—this year. Harjinder Singh is the gang’s king-pin, who has already been facing six cases of smuggling. One of the cases against Harjinder is related to the seizure of 17 kg of heroin, 200 gm of opium, a rifle of AK series with its ammunition and a pistol. The seizure was made by the border security force (BSF) in the Khalra sector of Tarn Taran district in 2018.
Senior suprintendent of police (SSP) Ranjit Singh Dhillon said, “Our teams had noticed the movement of drones in the area of Wan Tara Singh village in the recent months. A special investigation team was formed to probe the incidents and following the investigation, we identified the accused who were found to be involved in the smuggling of heroin, arms and ammunition from across the border by using drones.” A case against the accused was registered on Sunday and two of the accused were arrested on Monday, he said.
The SSP further said, “The arrested duo accused had met the other three accused in jails and their network of heroin smuggling was widened. Our teams are working to identify those accused who had been further getting the heroin and arms from the gang members.” The SSP said the drone was being sent by the gang members’ counterparts from across the border. “During the remand of the accused, more recoveries are expected,” he said. A case under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the NDPS Act and the Arms Act has been registered against all the accused at the Khalra police station.