— HEROIN WAS BEING SUPPLIED TO LOCAL PARTIES, WITH PAYMENTS BEING ROUTED THROUGH HAWALA CHANNELS: DGP GAURAV YADAV
— FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS ON; MORE ARRESTS AND RECOVERIES LIKELY IN COMING DAYS
CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, May 26:
Amidst the ongoing anti-drug campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ launched on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Police’s Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar has busted an international narco-smuggling module being operated by Canada-based drug smuggler Sonu with the arrest of his three India-based operatives and recovered 2.5 kg heroin and ₹42 lakh drug money from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Monday.
Those arrested have been identified as Ajaypal Singh alias Ajay, a resident of Sarai Amanat Khan in Tarn Taran; Hardeep Singh, a resident of Bhagatanwala in Amritsar and Milap Singh, a resident of Alipur in Tarn Taran. Police teams have also seized their black Hero Splendor motorcycle (PB02CY6917) and a white Toyota Fortuner car (HR26DY5140) being used in the smuggling operations.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that police teams of CI Amritsar has received a reliable input about Canada-based individual identified as Sonu operating a drug smuggling racket with the help of his Punjab-based associates.
The tip has also revealed that two of his associates Ajaypal Singh and Hardeep Singh have recently retrieved the consignments of heroin, and are arriving on Link Road from Adda Khasa to Khurmanian on their motorcycle to deliver a heroin consignment, he said, while adding that acting swiftly, Police teams from CI Amritsar conducted a raid and apprehended both the accused persons after recovering 2.5 kg heroin from their possession.
The DGP said that on the revelation of the arrested accused about handing over the drug money to their another associate identified as Milap Singh, team of CI Amritsar has also arrested him from Amritsar-Bathinda Highway near village Alipur and recovered Rs 42 lakh drug money and currency counting machine has been recovered from him, besides, impounding his Toyota Fortuner car.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were part of a well-organized network receiving heroin consignments from their handler and supplying them to local parties, with payments being routed through Hawala channels, he said, while adding that further investigation is underway, and more arrests are expected in the coming days.
A case FIR No. 31 dated 26.05.2025 has been registered under sections 21, 25, 27-A, and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station SSOC, Amritsar.
