Punjab Police has made the state's largest heroin seizure to date, arresting two key associates of a Turkey-based drug smuggler, Navpreet Singh alias Nav Bhullar. The operation led to the recovery of 105 kg of heroin and six firearms — five foreign-made pistols and one locally manufactured pistol — from the suspects’ possession, said the state’s Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Sunday.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Navjot Singh, from Guru Tegh Bahadur Colony in Baba Bakala; and Lovepreet Kumar, from Kala Sanghian in Kapurthala.

DGP Yadav detailed that in addition to the substantial heroin haul, police also confiscated 31.93 kg of caffeine anhydrous and 17 kg of dextromethorphan (DMR) — both of which were being utilized as multiplying agents to enhance the heroin's potency by four times.

The operation was initiated after receiving crucial intelligence about Navpreet’s involvement in a Pakistan-backed cross-border smuggling ring. DGP Yadav reported that the police established a special checkpoint under the supervision of DSP Counter Intelligence Amritsar, Balbir Singh, in Baba Bakala. The suspects were apprehended in their Volkswagen Virtus, where the initial seven kg of heroin was found.

Following the arrests, investigators acted on the suspects' disclosures, leading to the recovery of an additional 98 kg of heroin, alongside the weapons and scheduled drugs, from their rented residence. The police have launched an extensive investigation into the smuggling routes used for transporting the narcotics and are actively pursuing further leads to apprehend additional individuals involved in this criminal network.

An FIR has been registered under multiple sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, as well as the Arms Act, at the Police Station State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) in Amritsar. DGP Yadav reiterated Punjab Police's unwavering commitment to making the state drug-free and dismantling organized drug trafficking operations.