Punjab Police busts cross-border drug cartel; one held with 8.08kg heroin, one pistol

In a major breakthrough against the international drug network, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police, acting on the directives of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, has dismantled a cross-border drug cartel.

Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, announced on Tuesday that police teams had arrested one accused and seized 8.08 kg of heroin, along with a .30 bore pistol and five cartridges.

The arrested individual has been identified as Dharminder Singh alias Sonu, a resident of Harsha Chhena village in Amritsar. In addition to the narcotics and weapons, law enforcement officials have also seized a Hyundai Creta vehicle used by the accused for transporting drug consignments.

DGP Gaurav Yadav revealed that the accused was in direct contact with cross-border drug traffickers who used drones to smuggle narcotics through the Ajnala sector. He further stated that investigations are ongoing to uncover the entire network, including both backward and forward linkages.

Providing more details about the operation, Amritsar Commissioner of Police (CP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, during a press conference, explained that police teams, working under the supervision of DCP Investigation Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu, ADCP Investigation Navjot Singh, and ACP North Kamaljit Singh, successfully apprehended the accused near the Mental Hospital in Amritsar. The arrest was made while Dharminder Singh alias Sonu was waiting to deliver the drug consignment.

The CP further added that police have identified and nominated another accomplice linked to the drug smuggling operation. Investigations are also underway to identify the recipient of the consignment. Authorities are making concerted efforts to dismantle the entire network of suppliers, dealers, and buyers, as well as to determine the total quantity of drugs smuggled by the arrested individuals.

An FIR (No. 20) dated March 17, 2025, has been registered under sections 21(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act, along with sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act, at Majitha Road Police Station in Amritsar.