Punjab Police busts narco smuggling and arms cartel; 2 held with over 8 kg heroin

Chandigarh: The Amritsar police have busted trans-border narco smuggling and arms cartel with the arrest of two persons.

Police have seized over 8 kg heroin, 6 kg opium, 13.1 kg chemical and four pistols along with 17 cartridges from their possession, said Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav on Friday.

Those arrested have been identified as Aditya Pratap alias Kaka (23), a resident of Bhalla Colony in Chheharta, Amritsar and Shambhu Kabir (35), a resident of Prem Nagar, Tarn Taran Road in Amritsar, he said.

DGP Yadav said that both the accused have criminal history as cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and Arms Act are registered against them, while, accused Shambhu Kabir is also wanted in a murder case, according to an official statement.

He said that further investigations are going on to establish backward and forward linkages in this case.

Meanwhile, Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that following reliable inputs about the involvement of accused Aditya alias Kaka in smuggling of weapons, police teams from Islamabad (Amritsar) police station laid a trap and arrested him from Band Bhatha at Prem Nagar Road in Kot Khalsa, Amritsar and recovered two pistols,” including .32 bore and .30 bore, and 13 live cartridges from his possession.

He said that during follow-up investigations in this case, name of other accused Shambhu Kabir was also cropped up, following which an operation was launched to nab him.

Kabir was arrested from Old Gas Godown at Guru Ki Wadali Road in Kot Khalsa, Amritsar.

Police teams have recovered 275 gm heroin, 11.1 kg chemical (used to mix with heroin) and one .32 bore pistol from his possession, Bhullar said.

The police commissioner said that on the disclosure of accused Aditya alias Kaka, two parcels of 5 kg and 3 kg heroin each, 2 kg chemical, 6 kg opium and one 9 mm sophisticated Glock pistol along with one live cartridge were also recovered.

More arrests and recoveries are expected in coming days, he said.

Meanwhile, DGP Yadav said that in another major breakthrough, Jalandhar police have busted an international drug trafficking network and recovered 1,400 kg poppy husk and apprehended three persons with two vehicles, used for transporting the drugs.

Preliminary investigation reveals arrested accused were connected to international drug traffickers. Further investigation is on-going to establish backward and forward linkages, the DGP said.