Tarn Taran (Punjab) [India], March 31 : In another major blow to the cross-border drug smuggling networks amidst the ongoing anti-drugs campaign, "Yudh Nashean Virudh" in Punjab the Tarn Taran Police arrested a drug smuggler linked to Pakistan and USA-based drug syndicates and recovered 15 kg of heroin from his possession, said an official statement.
The campaign was launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Monday.
The arrested accused has been identified as Harshpreet Singh, a resident of Roranwala in Amritsar. Apart from recovering the heroin haul, police teams have also impounded the white coloured Activa scooter (PB 02 CJ 4165) being used by the accused for drug smuggling, the statement added.
The development came a day after Tarn Taran Police dismantled a drug trafficking cartel with the arrest of two drug smugglers and recovered 6 kg of heroin from their possession.
According to the Punjab Police's statement, DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the drug consignment is linked to a smuggling network operated by USA-based smuggler Gurnam Kallowal, who is linked with a Pakistan-based drug smuggler identified as Pahalwan.
The latter was using drones to drop the drug consignment from across the border, he added.
He said that the probe has also revealed that the arrested accused Harshpreet was retrieving narcotic consignments near the border area to further deliver them to local drug peddlers and was sending payments of drug proceeds through hawala channels on the instructions of his USA-based handler.
The DGP said that further investigations are underway to establish backward and forward linkages in this case to uncover the whole network.
Sharing operation details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Tarn Taran Abhimanyu Rana said that following reliable inputs about the smuggling activities of the accused Harshpreet, police teams of CIA under supervision of SP Investigation Ajay Raj, DSP Goindwal sahib Atul Soni and DSP special crime Gurinder Pal Nagra have launched an intelligence based operation and arrested the accused from the area of Rakh Sarai Amanat Khan, when he was going to deliver the drug consignment to someone on his Activa scooter.
The SSP said that efforts are being made to uncover the entire network of suppliers, dealers, and buyers, as well as to ascertain the total quantity of drugs received by the arrested accused. More arrests and recoveries are likely in the coming days, he added.
A case under FIR No. 66 dated March 31, 2025, has been registered under sections 21(c) of the NDPS Act at Police Station Sadar Tarn Taran.