Amritsar Commissionerate Police has dealt a significant blow to the gangster-narco nexus, busting a trans-border narcotic smuggling operation. Three drug smugglers were arrested, and a substantial haul of narcotics, including one kg of ICE (Methamphetamine) and one kg of heroin, was recovered from their possession, confirmed the state Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Wednesday.

The arrested individuals, Karandeep Singh (22), Jeewan Singh (19), and Manjinder Singh (21), were detained in Amritsar with their vehicle, a Toyota Etios, impounded by authorities. Preliminary investigations revealed Karandeep’s extensive connections with Pakistan-based drug smugglers.

DGP Yadav shared that Karandeep Singh, who had lived in Dubai and Moscow for six years, returned to Punjab and made contact with Pakistan-based smugglers through social media platforms. These smugglers have reportedly been using drones to smuggle narcotics into India across the border. In addition, the investigation has uncovered that Karandeep was in touch with notorious foreign-based gangster Gurdev alias Jaisal, a key figure linked to the Canada-based terrorists Lakhbir alias Landa and Satbir Singh alias Satta, known for their involvement in violent activities in Punjab, including the RPG attack on Police Station Sarhali, and targetted killings.

Amritsar Commissioner of Police (CP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar explained that the breakthrough came after the police team, led by the CIA Staff-1 team under DCP Investigation Harpreet Singh Mander, acted swiftly on a tip-off, leading to the interception of the three accused near Puli Sua on Ajnala road. Police believe that this is just the beginning, with further arrests and drug recoveries expected in the coming days.

DGP Yadav confirmed that further investigations are underway to uncover more linkages within the smuggling network, with additional arrests expected soon. A case under the sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered at the Police Station Airport, Amritsar.