Punjab Police bust international narcotics smuggling network; five kg heroin seized

Chandigarh, May 1 (IANS) In an intelligence-led operation, Punjab Police’s Counter-Intelligence of Amritsar busted an international narcotics smuggling network operated by foreign-based Jassa and his associates with links to Pakistan-based smugglers, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Thursday.

Five kg of heroin was seized. He said preliminary investigation revealed that Jassa and his foreign-based accomplices have established links with their India-based associate, Jodhbir Singh, alias Jodha, a resident of Amritsar.

Acting on the instructions of his foreign handlers, Jodhbir Singh actively retrieved heroin consignments and distributed them to various locations across India.

Further intelligence indicates that Jodhbir Singh also collected drug proceeds and remitted them to Pakistan through hawala channels, said the DGP.

A raid was conducted and the police team recovered five kg of heroin, one currency counting machine and many more.

A first information report (FIR) has been registered in Amritsar, and efforts are on to arrest him and disrupt his network.

A day earlier, Amritsar Commissionerate has thwarted a potential grenade attack on a police establishments with the arrest of five members of a Pakistan ISI-backed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror module linked to foreign-based gangster Jiwan Fauji.

Those arrested have been identified as Naresh Kumar alias Babbu, Abhinav Bhagat alias Abhi, Ajay Kumar alias Ajju, and Sunny Kumar, all residents of Haripura in Amritsar and a 17-year-old juvenile.

Police teams have also recovered a hand grenade and a country-made .32 pistol along with five cartridges.

DGP Yadav said gangster Jiwan Fauji, currently operating from abroad, has been running a terror module in border districts of the state with the help of the arrested accused, who were recruited and radicalised to execute criminal activities.

The probe has also revealed that the arrested people were provided with motorcycles and tasked with retrieving weapon consignments from the Ajnala sector, the DGP said.

He said the arrested were actively plotting to target police establishments with grenades.

--IANS

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