Juvenile among five arrested in Punjab for cross-border arms, narcotics smuggling

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police has dismantled an alleged cross-border arms and narcotics smuggling network with links to Pakistan with the arrest of five operatives, including one juvenile. Authorities recovered 12 sophisticated .30 bore pistols and 1.5 kg of heroin from their possession. Director General of Police, Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, said on Thursday that those arrested are Joban Singh (22), Karandeep Singh alias Pandit (19), and Ajaypal Singh (18), all residents of Mari Megha village in Tarn Taran; Jashanpreet Singh (18) of Rania village in Amritsar; and a 16-year-old juvenile. Yadav stated that preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused, Joban Singh and Jashanpreet Singh, were in direct touch with Pakistan-based smugglers and were communicating via social media to receive and deliver arms and narcotics consignments. The pushed-in weapon consignments were meant to fuel inter-gang rivalries in Punjab, he said, adding that further investigation is underway to establish forward and backward linkages in this case to expose the full nexus. Sharing details of the operation, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that during a naka at the Gate Hakima area, police teams arrested Joban Singh, Karandeep Singh alias Pandit, and Ajaypal Singh, and recovered five .30 bore pistols from their possession. All three arrested accused persons belong to the same village, Mari Megha, which is located close to the international border, he said, while adding that Pakistan-based smugglers were using drones to drop the arms and narcotics consignments. He further stated that based on disclosures, Joban Singhs associates, Jashanpreet Singh and the juvenile, were apprehended with seven pistols. On sustained interrogation of Joban Singh, he revealed details about a concealed 1.5 kg heroin consignment, which was recovered from the location pinpointed by him, he added. A case has been registered under Section 25 of the Arms Act and Sections 21-C and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Gate Hakima in Amritsar.