Punjab Police bust two smuggling networks, three held

Chandigarh, May 17 (IANS) In a major crackdown on the drug nexus amidst the ongoing anti-drugs campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’, Punjab Police’s Commissionerate Police Amritsar has busted two smuggling networks with the arrest of three accused and recovery of 1.01 kg heroin, Rs 45.19 lakh drug money and a cash counting machine, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Saturday.

Those arrested have been identified as Rahul Singh, Gurmukh Singh (21) and Varinderpal Singh.

DGP Yadav said two first information reports (FIRs) under the NDPS Act have been registered. Further investigation is underway to trace linkages to unearth the whole smuggling module, he said.

Sharing operation details of the first operation, Commissioner of Police (Amritsar) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said police teams have arrested accused Rahul alias Kalu and recovered 510 grams of heroin and Rs 30.18 lakh drug money along with a counting machine from his rented house at Anand Vihar in Amritsar.

He said the preliminary investigation has indicated that the accused, Rahul, was in contact with a foreign-based drug smuggler, Tony German and was supplying heroin locally after receiving the consignments from across the border.

An FIR has been registered under Sections 21-C and 25 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Gate Hakima in Amritsar.

In another operation, the Commissioner of Police said police teams from Police Station Verka have arrested Gurmukh Singh and Varinder Pal Singh and recovered 500 grams of heroin, Rs 15.19 lakh drug money and a camera-fitted toy drone from their possession.

The accused had made a concealed bed-box (secret locker) at a house located in Akalgarh village from where drug money has been recovered, he said, while adding that the accused were using the toy drone for practising.

--IANS

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