GPS trail leads ANTF to 12.1 Kg heroin; Pakistan-based handler ‘Chacha’ link surfaces
Diploma student used as Second-Line Courier in International Drug Racket
Ferozepur, July 17, 2026: In a major breakthrough against cross-border drug trafficking, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), Ferozepur Range, has busted an international drug smuggling syndicate and seized 12.1 kg of heroin while arresting a second-line courier, dealing a significant blow to the narcotics network operating across the Indo-Pak border.
The operation was carried out under the Punjab Government's ongoing anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nashian Virudh, on the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab and ADGP ANTF Nilabh Kishore. The raid was conducted under the supervision of Gurinderbir Singh, SP, ANTF Ferozepur Range, by a team led by DSP Pirthipal Singh and Sub-Inspector Hardev Singh.
Following the operation, the ANTF registered FIR No. 155 dated July 15, 2026, under Section 21 of the NDPS Act at Police Station ANTF, SAS Nagar.
The arrested accused has been identified as Jagsir Singh alias Lavi, son of Sona Singh, a resident of village Badal Ke Uttar in Fazilka district. Police said the accused is a diploma student with no previous criminal record. Investigators described him as a second-line courier who did not collect narcotics directly from drone drops but received consignments from first-line couriers before arranging their onward transportation and distribution.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that the syndicate employed sophisticated technology to evade law enforcement. According to the ANTF, the heroin consignment was recovered from a predetermined dead-drop location in village Rao Ke. The accused was guided to the pickup point using precise GPS coordinates provided by a Pakistan-based handler known by the alias "Chacha," believed to be operating from the Kasur region and linked to a major cross-border drug trafficking syndicate.
Officials said the entire operation was coordinated through encrypted WhatsApp communication. The seized consignment was reportedly meant for delivery to a local recipient who was using an Australian virtual WhatsApp number to conceal his identity.
The ANTF has also seized the accused's mobile phone, which is undergoing detailed digital forensic examination. Investigators are analysing electronic evidence to trace both the backward and forward linkages of the international drug trafficking network and identify other members of the syndicate.
Police said further arrests and recoveries are likely as the investigation progresses.