Chandigarh/Amritsar: In a major crackdown on cross-border organised crime, Punjab Police’s Amritsar Commissionerate has dismantled an alleged drug and illegal arms smuggling network with the arrest of four suspects and the seizure of 5.557 kg of heroin, two sophisticated firearms, and a motorcycle, officials said on Saturday.

Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the operation dealt a significant blow to a cross-border network allegedly involved in trafficking narcotics and weapons into Punjab. The recovered cache included a 9mm Glock pistol and a .30 bore pistol, which investigators believe were meant for further distribution to criminal elements.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Akash Sandhu (30), Sunil Saroj (40), Harwinder Singh alias Chamkaur (32), and Vansh Singh (40), all residents of Amritsar district. Police said three of the accused have previous cases registered against them under the NDPS Act and Arms Act.

According to the DGP, preliminary investigations indicate that the accused were allegedly in contact with foreign-based smugglers, receiving consignments of narcotics and weapons for distribution within the region. Police are now probing the network’s forward and backward linkages to identify additional associates.

Commissioner of Police (Amritsar) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the operation began with the arrest of Akash Sandhu, from whom 192 grams of heroin was recovered. Based on his disclosures, police seized another 776 grams, while subsequent raids led to the arrest of Sunil Saroj and the recovery of 4.589 kg of heroin.

Further investigation resulted in the arrest of Harwinder Singh alias Chamkaur and Vansh Singh, from whom the two pistols were recovered. Police said Harwinder was already wanted in a commercial quantity heroin case, while both he and Vansh hail from a village located close to the International Border, suggesting their alleged role in facilitating cross-border drug and arms smuggling.

Police have registered separate cases under the NDPS Act and the Arms Act and said further investigations are underway. Officials indicated that more arrests and recoveries are likely as the probe into the wider smuggling network continues.