Four held with 17-kg heroin in Gurdaspur; Pak link suspected
GURDASPUR: The Punjab Police have arrested four persons from Dinanagar in Gurdaspur district and recovered approximately 17 kg heroin from them, which is suspected to have been smuggled from Pakistan, officials said on Friday.
The accused, all of whom belong to Tarn Taran district, have been identified as Manjinder Singh alias Manna of Cheema Khurd village, Gurdit Singh alias Gitta and Bhola Singh of Cheema Kalan village and Kuldeep Singh alias Gavy of Kazi Kot road in Tarn Taran.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Harjit Singh, said, “they (the accused) were bringing the heroin in two Innova SUVS from Jammu and Kashmir. They were intercepted in Dinanagar. On checking the vehicles, 16 packets of heroin were recovered from their possession. The heroin was to be supplied to their associates in Tarn Taran.”
Harjit said that the accused were on their radar through local intelligence in Jammu. “We kept their surveillance for five days and finally managed to intercept them with the heroin. Tarn Taran police is checking the other hideouts of the accused.”
The SSP said the heroin is probably smuggled from Pakistan through international border or the line of control and these persons have managed to bring such consignments in the past as well. He said they have found that such kind of smuggling is widely prevalent and many other persons are involved in smuggling heroin through Jammu and Kashmir.
The contraband was concealed in specially designed boxes in the SUV which were not visible. Both the vehicles have also been seized by the police.
One of the accused Gurdit Singh disclosed that it was his third visit to Jammu to bring the heroin. He said they brought this consignment from an area falling near Jammu and it was to be delivered to one Malkit Singh of Tarn Taran district.
On Malkit, who is out of police net, Harjit said, “he (Malkit) is already booked in a case of NDPS and he allegedly have links with Pakistan-based drug smugglers. Further investigation is on.”