Chandigarh/Phagwara: In a major crackdown on cross-border narcotics smuggling, Kapurthala Police have busted a Pakistan-backed drug trafficking module and arrested four operatives, including a woman, with 16.8 kg of heroin in Phagwara.
Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, said the accused were acting at the behest of handlers based in Pakistan and Dubai. The arrested individuals have been identified as Balwinder Singh of Sultanpur Lodhi, Sumanpreet Kaur of Amritsar, and Harpal Singh and Jaskaranbir Singh, both residents of Amritsar district.
Police teams also impounded a grey Maruti Baleno used by the accused to transport the contraband. Preliminary investigations revealed that the heroin consignment was sourced from the Amritsar border area and was intended for delivery in Chandigarh.
DGP Yadav said further investigations are underway to establish backward and forward linkages and dismantle the broader network. He added that more arrests and recoveries are likely in the coming days.
Sharing operational details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kapurthala, Gaurav Toora, said the arrests followed a well-coordinated operation based on specific intelligence inputs. A police team laid a trap and intercepted the suspects’ vehicle in Phagwara.
“The accused attempted to flee and even tried to run over the police party. After a high-speed chase, police had to fire at the vehicle’s tyres to stop it,” the SSP said. A subsequent search led to the recovery of the heroin consignment.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the NDPS Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Sadar Phagwara police station.
