WAR AGAINST DRUGS
Ferozepur Police dismantle Pak-linked drone smuggling network, recover over 7 kg heroin
Ferozepur, February 3: In a breakthrough under the state government’s campaign Yudh Nashian Virudh (War Against Drugs), Ferozepur Police have seized over 7.243 kg of heroin and arrested a key drug smuggler, exposing a high-level cross-border narcotics network with links to Pakistan.
Acting on specific intelligence, a CIA staff-led police team intercepted and arrested Manjit Singh, son of Mansa Singh, a resident of Chheene Wale Jhugge near village Chandiwala under Sadar Police Station, Ferozepur. During a naka (checkpoint) operation, the police recovered 5.507 kg of heroin from his possession.
In another case, during routine patrolling in village Gokhilwala, the police stopped a Swift car coming from the opposite direction. Upon checking the vehicle, the police recovered 1.736 kg of heroin, two .30 bore pistols, the Swift car, and a mobile phone, from the possession of Harpreet Singh alias Googu of village Udekarn, of Muktsar Sahib district.
As the total recovered narcotic substance of 7.243 falls under commercial quantity, cases have been registered at the Sadar Police Station under relevant sections of the NDPS Act. The police said further investigation is underway, with Mohit Dhawan, In charge CIA and Baldev Singh Inspector, to trace the forward and backward links of the drug network.
Senior police officials, including the SP (Detective), DSP (Detective) and DSP City, supervised the operation. The arrest has yielded crucial information about the drug supply chain, revealing that the heroin consignment was smuggled from Pakistan using drones and was meant to be delivered further to local dealers.
SSP Bhupinder Singh said that during interrogation, the accused disclosed the names of several associates involved in both forward and backward linkages of the drug network. “The accused was operating at a high level and had earlier been involved in drug smuggling on multiple occasions. We are working out the identities of his accomplices and more arrests are expected in the coming days,” the SSP said.
Police have registered FIRs at Sadar Police Station under relevant sections of the NDPS Act, as the recovered contraband falls under commercial quantity. While no other case is currently registered against the accused in Ferozepur district, police are verifying his criminal record in other districts.
Investigations have also revealed that the accused had established contacts beyond Ferozepur, including possible links in Amritsar, and was coordinating with one or two main smugglers for further distribution of heroin.
“The entire supply was meant for onward delivery. Whether he was acting as a main trafficker or a key link in the chain is being ascertained. Based on the information obtained, we will soon nab the remaining members of the network,” the SSP added.
Further investigation is underway to dismantle the entire cross-border drug syndicate.