CHANDIGARH, Oct 28: Punjab Police announced on Monday the arrest of a man found in possession of six kilograms of heroin, part of a larger investigation following a record drug seizure of 105 kilograms in the state.
The initial bust occurred on Sunday when authorities uncovered a cross-border smuggling racket, leading to the arrest of two associates of a Turkey-based drug smuggler and the seizure of 105 kilograms of heroin and six firearms. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav stated that, as part of follow-up investigations, police apprehended Lovepreet Singh from Kapurthala and discovered the additional six kilograms of heroin in his vehicle.
Yadav noted, “In the follow-up investigations of the 105 kg heroin haul, acting swiftly on the forward-backward linkages, Counter Intelligence, #Amritsar apprehends Lovepreet Singh resident of Kapurthala and recovers 6 kg of heroin from his car.” Singh was reportedly set to deliver the heroin, which he had collected from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan, to another drug dealer, Navjot Singh, who was arrested on the same day.
Previously, police had detained Navjot Singh from Guru Tegh Bahadur Colony in Baba Bakala, and Lovepreet Kumar from Kala Sanghian in Kapurthala as part of the ongoing investigation into the 105 kg heroin case. In addition to the heroin, police confiscated a substantial quantity of other scheduled drugs, including 31.93 kg of caffeine anhydrous and 17 kg of dextromethorphan (DMR) from the suspects.
Both Navjot and Kumar were identified as associates of a Turkey-based drug smuggler known as Navpreet Singh, alias Nav Bhullar. According to police reports, these scheduled drugs were being used as cutting agents to multiply the heroin’s quantity by four times.
Investigations revealed that drugs were transported via water routes from Pakistan. Bhullar was allegedly operating a Pakistan-backed smuggling ring with associates residing in a rented accommodation on Colony Lady Road in Baba Bakala.
In a related incident, the Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 568 grams of heroin near the International Border in the Tarn Taran district. Additionally, the BSF discovered a drone in a field near Ballaharwal village in Amritsar. On October 10, the BSF had also intercepted over 13 kg of heroin near the India-Pakistan International Border in Tarn Taran.
