Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Punjab Police busts cross-border drug cartel; seizes 8.08 kg heroin, illegal weapon, arrests key accused
Babushahi Bureau
Amritsar (Punjab), March 18, 2025 – In a major crackdown on international drug trafficking, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busted a cross-border drug cartel, arresting one key accused and recovering 8.08 kg of heroin along with a .30 bore pistol and five cartridges, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav announced on Tuesday.
The arrested smuggler, identified as Dharminder Singh alias Sonu, a resident of Harsha Chhena village in Amritsar, was in direct contact with Pakistan-based drug traffickers who were using drones to drop drug consignments in Punjab’s Ajnala sector.
Police teams have also impounded a Hyundai Creta, which the accused was using to deliver the illicit consignments.
Police Investigation & Arrest
Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, while addressing a press conference, revealed that acting on a tip-off, a police team led by Inspector Ranjit Singh Dhaliwal, under the supervision of DCP Investigation Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu, ADCP Investigation Navjot Singh, and ACP North Kamaljit Singh, nabbed Dharminder near Mental Hospital, Amritsar, where he was waiting to deliver a consignment.
The investigation has also identified another accomplice involved in the smuggling network, and police teams have launched a manhunt to apprehend him. Authorities are working to trace the entire network of suppliers, buyers, and handlers, as well as uncover the total volume of drugs trafficked so far.
Legal Action
A case (FIR No. 20, dated March 17, 2025) has been registered at Police Station Majitha Road, Amritsar, under sections 21(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act, along with sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act.
Punjab Police's War on Drugs
DGP Gaurav Yadav reiterated that Punjab Police is fully committed to Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s vision of making Punjab a drug-free state. The crackdown on cross-border drug cartels continues, with law enforcement agencies actively targeting smuggling routes and networks operating within and beyond Punjab’s borders.