PUNJAB POLICE RECOVER 8KG HEROIN FROM SMUGGLER WHO SWAM TO PAKISTAN TO RETRIEVE CONSIGNMENT

— PUNJAB POLICE COMMITTED TO MAKING PUNJAB A DRUG FREE STATE AS PER VISION OF CM BHAGWANT MANN

— ACCUSED JOGA SINGH WAS WANTED BY SSOC AMRITSAR, HIS TWO ACCOMPLICES ALREADY ARRESTED WITH 14KG HEROIN: DGP GAURAV YADAV

— FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS ON TO ARREST MORE CRIMINALS INVOLVED IN DRUG CARTEL, SAYS SSP MUKHWINDER SINGH BHULLAR

CHANDIGARH/JALANDHAR, August 17:

          Striking yet another blow to the narcotic smuggling networks amidst the ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Jalandhar Rural Police on Thursday arrested a drug smuggler identified as Joga Singh of village Rajapur in Ludhiana after recovering 8kg heroin from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.

          “Joga is an international drug smuggler, who swam into the Pakistan jurisdiction to retrieve the heroin consignment smuggled from trans-border networks from Pakistan,” he said, while adding that the accused was wanted in multiple cases of NDPS act, and his two accomplices have already been arrested by the SSOC Amritsar after recovering 14kg heroin from their possession.

          Pertinently, the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Amritsar had busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket with the arrest of a drug smuggler identified as Shinder Singh after recovering a consignment of 10kg heroin and Rs 1.5 lakhs of drug money from his possession, while, a woman drug smuggler identified as Amandeep Kaur alias Deep Bhai linked to this module was also arrested with 1kg heroin. After recovering 8Kgs heroin from accused Joga Singh, the total effective recovery of heroin from this module reaches to 22Kgs.

          DGP Gaurav Yadav said that there were reliable inputs that Shinder Singh and his accomplices had procured a big consignment of heroin pushed into the Indian territory by the Pak-based smugglers and agencies using the riverine route in the Ferozepur sector. Recovery of this consignment of heroin is the result of vigorous follow-up investigations by the Punjab Police, he added.

          Sharing more details, SSP Jalandhar Rural Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar said that following a reliable input that accused Joga Singh— who is in possession of heroin consignment— is on the way to deliver it to someone, the Police team from Goraya Police Station conducted a special naka near Dhuleta village. The Police teams managed to arrest the accused Joga Singh when he was travelling on his Platina motorcycle after recovering 8kg heroin, concealed in a bag, from his possession, he added.

          The SSP said that further investigations are on to arrest more criminals involved in the drug cartel. A fresh case FIR no. 107 dated 17/08/2023 has been registered under sections 21 and 25 of the NDPS act at Goraya Police Station, he added.