‘SMUGGLER’ ARRESTED NEAR BORDER IN TARN TARAN

The Tarn Taran district police claimed to have arrested a ‘notorious smuggler’ from Sursingh village near the India-Pakistan border on Friday. The accused is Avtar Singh aka Taru of Narli village near the Khalra border in Tarn Taran district. SSP Darshan Singh Mann said the police also recovered 1.1-kg heroin, 1 .315 bore pistol and its 4 cartridges, a motorcycle, a Pakistani SIM card, and ₹200 from him.

He claimed the accused is a notorious smuggler and was wanted in a case of the recovery of 9kg heroin, a .32 pistol and 25 live rounds.

On March 14, the personnel of the 87 Battalion of the BSF had seized nine packets (each weighing 1kg) of heroin, thrown by Pakistani smugglers into the Indian territory during the intervening night of March 13 and 14 near the Khalra border outpost (BOP), 40 km from Tarn Taran district headquarters. The BSF had spotted two persons on the Indian side before the recovery, but they managed to arrest only one Balbir Singh of Khalsa colony here. However, Balbir’s accomplice had managed to flee from the spot.

The SSP said the accused Avtar was the accomplice of Balbir and both were there at border during the intervening night of March 13 and 14 for receiving the contraband from Pakistan smugglers. He said Avtar’s father Bakhsish Singh was also a smuggler. Mann said a team, led by sub-inspector (SI) Kashmir Singh of Bhikhiwind police station, was patrolling near Sursingh village where Avtar was arrested. He said a fresh case under section 21-61-85 of the NDPS Act and 25-54-59 of the Arms Act had been registered.