The North News
Amritsar, July 26
Punjab police have busted a cross-border narcotics network with alleged links to Pakistan, arresting four individuals and seizing 4kg of heroin in Amritsar, officials confirmed on Saturday. According to Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, the suspects were acting on instructions from a Pakistan-based handler named Shah. Investigators say Shah coordinated drug deliveries into India using drones, while the arrested suspects used an inconspicuous auto-rickshaw to collect and transport the consignments.
The suspects have been identified as Ranjit Singh and Karan Masih, both from Attari, and Manpreet Singh and Ajaypal Singh, both from Jandiala Guru. The vehicle allegedly used in the operation—bearing registration number PB 02 DN 5173—was also impounded.
“Initial investigations indicate that these individuals were in direct contact with the Pakistani handler. They were operating a well-organised drug delivery chain within Punjab,” DGP Yadav said in a statement.
The arrests were made near the Kathanian bus stop on the Amritsar-Attari Grand Trunk Road following a tip-off received by the Counter Intelligence unit in Amritsar. The accused were intercepted while en route to deliver the consignment.
Police have launched a broader probe to trace both backward and forward linkages of the smuggling ring.
The case has been registered under FIR No. 40, dated 25 July 2025, at the State Special Operation Cell in Amritsar under sections 21, 25, and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
