— GANG HAD AN ACTIVE PRESENCE IN BORDER AREAS OF PUNJAB: DGP GAURAV YADAV
— RECOVERED DRUG MONEY WAS MEANT TO BE ROUTED VIA HAWALA: CP ASR GURPREET SINGH BHULLAR
CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, September 4:
In a coordinated crackdown based on timely intelligence amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has arrested three individuals involved in cross-border organised arms and hawala network, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.
Those arrested have been identified as Harpreet Singh (23), a resident of village Kot Mehtab in Amritsar, Gurpal Singh (21), a resident of village Sursingh in Tarn Taran and Ranjodh Singh (33), a resident of village Viring in Tarn Taran. Police teams have also recovered 2.02 kg heroin, four pistols— including one Glock and three .30 bore pistols and Rs 3.5 lakhs hawala money, besides, impounding their motorcycle.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that the gang was using drones to smuggle heroin and weapons from Pakistan and had an active presence in border areas of Punjab. Preliminary investigation has revealed the arrested accused, Harpreet Singh and Gurpal Singh, who earlier went to Malaysia, are linked with cross-border smugglers, he said.
The DGP said that a case has been registered at Police Station Gate Hakiman, and further investigation is underway to establish forward and backward linkages in this case to expose the complete nexus.
Sharing operation details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that accused Harpreet and Gurpal were earlier arrested with 220 gram of heroin along with motorcycle. Further on disclosure of arrested accused Harpreet and Gurpal, police teams have recovered 1.8 kg more heroin along with two .30 bore Pistols from the pinpointed spot, he said.
He said that probe has revealed that accused Harpreet went to Malaysia in 2023 and returned after 7 months, while Gurpal went in 2022 and returned in 2023. They were not known to each other in Malaysia but they had common Pak-based smuggler in contact, and on latter’s directions they had received the consignments.
The CP said that on further disclosure of Gurpal Singh, one more accused Ranjodh was nominated during investigation and was arrested along with two pistols and Rs 3.5 lakh drug money. This drug money was of contraband trade which was to be routed through hawala to Pakistan, he added.
In this regard, a case FIR No. 235 dated 30.08.25 has been registered under sections 21C, 27A, 27B and 29 of the NDPS Act and section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Gate Hakiman Amritsar.
