Punjab Police bust syndicate using jackets to smuggle heroin

Chandigarh, Oct 4 (IANS) Punjab Police have busted an international drug trafficking syndicate that used jackets to smuggle heroin into the state, with the arrest of its two operatives and recovered three half-sleeve jackets stashed with 500 gm heroin in each from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Friday. 

Those arrested have been identified as Sukhdeep Singh, alias Raja, a resident of Faridkot, and Krishan, a resident of Rohtak.

Apart from recovering 1.5 kg heroin, police teams have also impounded their white-coloured Hyundai Aura car, which they were using to smuggle narcotics in the guise of a taxi.

DGP Yadav said preliminary investigation has revealed that these drug consignments were bought from an Afghan national based in Delhi, exposing their network with international drug cartels and their clever tactics of hiding heroin in jackets to evade detection.

He added that during the initial questioning the accused disclosed that they had smuggled four consignments of heroin in connivance with Kotkapura-based drug smuggler, Lakhwinder Singh, in the past two months and the recent 10 kg of heroin was bought in mid-September, which was delivered in Moga.

Facing at least 10 cases of the NDPS Act, Lakhwinder Singh is said to be the key person of this module, who has been managing the entire drug network.

The DGP said police teams are on manhunt to nab absconding Lakhwinder Singh.

Further investigations are underway to establish backward and forward linkages in this case, he added.

Sharing operation details, Deputy Inspector General (Ropar), Nilambari Jagdale, said a reliable input was received that two members of a drug syndicate, in possession of heroin, were coming from Delhi towards Mohali in a white Hyundai Aura.

Acting swiftly, police teams led by DSP Bikramjit Singh Brar laid a special checkpoint near the Dappar toll plaza in Lalru and intercepted the vehicle leading to the arrests and recovery of narcotics, she added.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Deepak Pareek, said the accused Sukhdeep also had a criminal past with a kidnapping case registered against him in 2020.

Since coming out on bail from Faridkot jail in May 2024, he started indulging in this heroin smuggling network in July, he added.

He said the accused had also rented an accommodation in Sohana, Mohali, to facilitate drug smuggling operations.