KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
Police arrested a person, identified as Sattu Ram and recovered 500-gm of opium from his possession from near Pakki Tibbi village in Muktsar district on February 8.
Ludhiana Rural Police arrested a person, identified as Jagtar (26), along with 50 grams of heroin, after an encounter across the town of Jagraon in Ludhiana district on February 7 late night. Jagraon Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Satinder Singh Virk said that on the way, the accused injured at least three commuters who were admitted to the hospital.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on February 5 said it has recently carried out search operations in 10 different places in Tarn Taran district of Punjab in connection with the recovery of arms and drugs cases. According to an official, during the course of the search, various incriminating evidence, drugs and arms and ammunition were recovered and seized relating to numerous immovable properties worth crores of rupees in the names of the accused persons, members of their family and their associates. The recoveries include heroin of 2.2 kg, suspected contraband material weighing over 13 kg, 2 rifles and 3 pistols along with some cartridges.
Border Security Force (BSF), on February 4, recovered 2.256 kg heroin from a field close to the village of Ghurmi in Fazilka district. According to the sources, the troop found three packages of drugs (2.256 kg of heroin) wrapped in white polythene during the search.
Border Security Force (BSF) shot down a Pakistani drone purported to be carrying 5 kilos of heroin close to Kakkar village in the Amritsar sector in Amritsar district. The drug packet was secured with a piece of yellow adhesive tape. According to an officer, BSF forces heard a buzzing sound about 2.30 am as a flying object entered Indian borders from Pakistan close to Kakkar village. The drone was shot down by BSF soldiers, who then roped off the whole area.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on February 3 conducted searches in a money laundering case linked to a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) and recovered 2.2 kg of heroin and other contraband items weighing about 14 kg of narcotics in Tarn Taran district. Along with two rifles, three pistols, and live ammunition, the ED also found property paperwork on the suspects' properties. ED conducted searches at 10 locations in the Tarn Taran district villages of Sheron, Naushera Pannuan, and Bugha.
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered three packets of heroin weighing about 2.622 kg, along with a blinking device, from a wheat field near Mumbeki village in Fazilka district. According to official sources, the BSF personnel heard a buzzing sound and saw a blinking red light of drone entering from the Pakistan side into the Indian territory area of the Mumbeki border outpost during the wee hours.
Punjab Police's counter-intelligence wing arrested a man, identified as Rashpal Singh alias Pala for his alleged involvement in drug trafficking and seized 5 kg of heroin and Rs 12.15 lakh cash from his possession in Amritsar on January 29. According to reports, Preliminary investigations revealed that the consignment of drugs was pushed by Pakistan-based smugglers using a drone.
Ludhiana Police busted a gang of drug peddlers with the arrest of two accused, identified as Amandeep Singh alias Romi (30) and Gurpreet Singh (26) and recovered 100-gram heroin, four pistols of 0.32 bore along with 18 live cartridges of 0.32 bore, four magazines, INR 7.70 lakh in cash drug money and Hyundai Verna car from their possession in Ludhiana.
The Border Security Force (BSF) claimed to have seized 3 kilograms of heroin in Ferozepur on January 26. According to BSF, in the morning, during a search of the area falling near Tindiwala village, BSF troops recovered three packets heroin (weight 3 Kg) wrapped with yellow adhesive tape.
Police arrested one person, identified as Amin Khan and recovered 20-gm opium from him in Abohar in Fazilka district.
Police recovered 70-gm heroin from two persons identified as Rajinder and Sukhjit Singh outside Kaminpura village in Fazilka district.
The Lambi police on January 24 arrested a person, identified as Gourav and seized 4.4-kg heroin from near Balochkera village on the Malout-Sitto Gunno road in Sri Muktsar Sahib district. According to police, a car was intercepted at a naka near Balochkera village and 4.4-kg heroin was found in it. One of the occupants in the car was arrested, while the other managed to flee from the spot.
The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Punjab Police, in a joint operation, shot down a drone carrying five kg of heroin near the India-Pakistan international border in Amritsar on the intervening night of January 21 and 22. According to sources, this is the sixth drone recovered in less than two months. Two suspects were also arrested in this connection. Amritsar Rural Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Swapan Sharma said the police teams fired at least 12 shots from AK-47 and shoot down the drone.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) busted an international terror racket and recovered 34.466 kgs of Heroin, 5.470 kgs of morphine, 557 grams of opium and 23.645 kgs suspected narcotics powder and arrested 16 persons in connection with this in Ludhiana. During the investigation the NCB learnt that the drug lord Akshay Chhabra had invested his black money which he had earned by illegal drug trade.
Police busted a gang of smugglers, arresting nine of its members and recovered 2kg of heroin and a pistol along with a magazine in the border village Sethan under Mamdot police station in Ferozepur on January 21.
The anti-drug Special Task Force (STF) of Punjab Police arrested a drug smuggler, identified as Sonu Masih after hot chase at Dubar Basti village falling under the Ajnala sub-division in Amritsar district on January 20. Police have also recovered 1kg and 100 gm of heroin and a .32 bore pistol from his possession. Sonu’s father Roopa Masih is the village sarpanch of Khanwal village.
Inspector General of Police (headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said on January 16 that Punjab Police arrested 258 drug smugglers and registered 194 first information reports (FIRs) under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act across the state in last one week. He said the police have also recovered 41.26kg heroin, 13.5kg opium, 53.25kg ganja, 4.8 quintals of poppy husk, and 5.28 lakh tablets/capsules/injections/vials of pharma opioids besides INR 20.48 lakh drug money. He also said that with 15 more proclaimed offenders in police net, the total number of arrests reached 623 since the special drive to arrest them was launched on July 5, 2022.
The Border Security Force (BSF) on the intervening night of January 9 and 10 busted a narco-terror attempt from across the border and seized 5 bottles possibly filled with heroin weighing of 2.5 kg and also a 500-grams heroin packet near Wan Village of Tarn Taran district.
The police on January 8 arrested two persons, identified as Pankaj (29) and Stanley Joseph (23) along with 1.2 kg of charas from their possession from near Lamini Government College in Pathankot district.
Punjab Police, in a joint operation with Central Agencies arrested an Army personnel, posted as Sepoy in Pathankot and his aide, Paramjeet Singh alias Pamma after recovering 29 packets of heroin, weighing 31.02 kilogram, from their possession in Fazilka in Fazilka district on January 7.
The Counter Intelligence Wing of the police has recovered 5 kg heroin and detained one person in this connection in Amritsar.
Punjab Police’s special task force arrested an alleged drug peddler, identified as Jassi Kumar (21) after recovering 920 gm heroin from his possession at a checkpoint in the Moti Nagar area in Ludhiana district. Police said he has been involved in the drug trade in the area for the last few years. The scooter used by the accused in the crime has also been impounded.
Police on January 3 arrested a resident of Prem Vihar, identified as Sunil Kumar along with 6 gm heroin from his possession near the Shiv Mandir in the Daulatpur colony in Ludhiana District.
The Border Security Force (BSF) seized a damaged drone along with 782 gm of heroin from near the Kassowal border out post (BOP) in Gurdaspur sector in Gurdaspur district on January 3 night and the contraband was handed over to the police.
The Border Security Force (BSF) on January 2 recovered another Pakistani drone with a consignment of approximately 1 kg of heroin near the International Border (IB) in Gurdaspur sector. According to BSF, it was an “old broken” drone (Hexacopter) which was found at a distance of two km from the IB by its troops under Border Out Post Kossowal in Gurdaspur.
The Punjab Police on December 28 arrested two people, identified as Jashnpreet Singh and Sarwan Singh alias Sabba, from Gurdaspur District in Punjab and recovered 10 kilograms Heroin along with two pistols, four magazines and 180 live cartridges. “The arrested persons were in contact with Pakistan based operative who pushed the consignment through the fences into India”, the Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab Gaurav Yadav stated.
Punjab Police on December 6 arrested two cross-border smugglers identified as Bhagwan Singh alias Bhaga and Harpreet Singh alias Pittu, from an unspecified location in Punjab and recovered drug money worth INR 5,100,000 and two cars from their possession.
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered a broken quadcopter with three kilograms of Heroin near Roranwala Kalan village under Chogawan-2 Tehsil (revenue unit) in Amritsar District, near the India – Pakistan border in Punjab on December 5.
A drone along with 3 kilograms of heroin was recovered near the India-Pakistan border under Valtoha Police limits in Tarn Taran District on December 4.
Border Security Force (BSF) recovered about 25 kilograms of heroin, which was airdropped by a Pakistani drone in the Fazilka District on December 3.
Two Pakistani drones were gunned down by the Border Security Force (BSF) on November 28, along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab, foiling the cross-border drugs smuggling bids in Amritsar and Tarn Taran Districts. The two hexacopters were carrying around 10 kilograms of heroin which were recovered by the BSF troops.
In a joint operation with Maharashtra Police, Punjab Police arrested three drug smugglers wanted in the 72.5-kg heroin seizure case in Gurdaspur district. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav in a tweet said, "In a crucial breakthrough, Gurdaspur Police arrests three high profile drug smugglers wanted in 72.5 kg heroin seizure case at Nhava Sheva Port, Mumbai effected jointly by ATS Mumbai and Punjab Police on July 22."
Police arrested one person, identified as Balwinder Kumar and recovered 5 gm of heroin from his possession at near the Kangdiwal flyover in Jalandhar.
Inspector General of Police (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill on October 31 said that Punjab Police have arrested 6,997 drug smugglers since July 5 and the police have registered a total of 5,346 first information reports (FIRs) of which 580 are related to seizure of commercial quantity of drugs. According to him, police teams had recovered 259.7 kg heroin from across the state after carrying out cordon and search operations in drug-affected areas besides laying nakas at vulnerable routes across the state. Additionally, 147.5 kg heroin was recovered by the teams of Punjab Police from seaports of Gujarat and Maharashtra, taking the total effective recovery of heroin to 406.5 kg in just four months, he said.
The Amritsar rural Police arrested an interstate drug peddler along with his accomplice, identified as Gurjant Singh and Ranjit Singh Rana and seized 2-kilograms heroin and drug money to the tune of INR 493,000 from their possession in Amritsar District of Punjab on September 1. The consignment was a part of the 126-kilogram heroin which was seized by the anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of the Gujarat Police from a fisherman at the Dwarka seaport in March this year.
Police arrested Gurpinder Singh and his brother Gurtejpal Singh of Khanpur village and recovered 262 grams and 263 grams of heroin from their possession, respectively, in Amritsar District of Punjab on September 1. Also, another person, Gurcharan Singh Gora of the same village, was arrested with 80- grams heroin.
The Nurmahal Police on August 3 arrested a widow, identified as Sandeep Kaur and recovered six grams of heroin, 290 intoxicant tablets and drug money of INR 1, 41, 340 from her possession in Mohalla Rungrra in Nurmahal in Jalandhar district.
The Malout city police arrested five persons, identified as Rachpal Singh, Sewak Singh, Manphool Singh, Dharamvir Singh and Husanpreet Singh along with 20-gm heroin and Rs 22,000 drug money in Muktsar district on August 2.
A large group of people, including women, stormed into the Chavinda Devi police check post in an area that falls under the jurisdiction of the Amritsar Rural police in Amritsar district, on August 1 night, allegedly attacked the four policemen on duty, and freed a ‘drug smuggler’ from police custody. The accused allegedly claimed that Akashdeep Singh, who was arrested with 9 grams of heroin, was not a smuggler but an addict. However, Majitha Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Manmohan Singh said that the police are identifying those who freed Akashdeep.
Moga police raided a rented house and arrested four drug dealers along with 1 kg of heroin and drug money worth INR 10 lakh from Dusanjh Road in Moga district.
According to reports, Punjab Police, on July 12, detained some persons (identity undisclosed) in Malerkotla for questioning after 75 kilograms of heroin was found in their consignment of clothes at Mundra Port in Gujarat. The contraband was kept concealed in a container of unstitched clothes using a cardboard pipe, which was further camouflaged by an oversized plastic pipe. The container, which was loaded from Jebel Ali port in the UAE, was booked by an importer from Malerkotla. Following specific intelligence input regarding the smuggling of heroin from the UAE to Punjab, the State Police in a joint operation with the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), Gujarat, and central agencies seized 75 kilograms of heroin from a container at Mundra Port, said Punjab, Director General of Police (DGP), Gaurav Yadav on July 12.
The Ludhiana unit of STF, the anti-narcotic cell of Ludhiana city police and the Khanna cops have arrested three drug peddlers in separate cases. In this first incident, accused Rohit, 27, a resident of Mohalla Peeru Banda, was arrested, near Sandhu Nagar and recovered 432g of contrabands which has costs Rs 2.16 crore in international market from him. In another case, the anti-narcotic wing of Ludhiana Commissionerate arrested drug peddler Baldev Singh of Pratap Singh Wala along with 1.10kg opium from Ayali Khurd. In the third case, Sadar Khanna police arrested a Rajasthan resident, Guddu Lal Gujar, with 1kg opium near Mandiala Kalan village.
Seven drug peddlers were arrested and 300g of heroin was recovered from them after a video was shared widely on social media of a man selling drugs to addicts on a rail track in Faridkot in Faridkot district on May 4. The accused were identified as Shivam, Ravi, Deepak, Baljeet Singh, Hira Singh, Amritpal Singh Jinda and Pardeep Kumar, all residents of Faridkot. Police rounded up the alleged drug supplier, Jagdeep Singh and impounded three two-wheelers of the accused.
The Special Task Force (STF) of the Punjab Police arrested two gangsters, identified as David alias Laddi Shooter and Lovepreet Sandhu alias Akash and recovered two pistols, three magazines, 12 rounds, 60-gm heroin and Rs 6.3 lakh drug money from their possession in Ferozepur district.
The Hoshiarpur district police arrested four smugglers by recovering a huge quantity of narcotics from them from different places on May 3. Police arrested Amandeep Singh alias Aman, a resident of Jagatpura, and recovered 78 grams of intoxicating powder from him. Gurpreet Singh alias Guru a resident Basant Bihar, was arrested by the police and 22 grams of heroin was seized from him. During a naka in the area, Mehtiana police arrested Jatinder Singh Jimmy and Lakhwinder Singh and recovered a large number of sedative capsules from them.
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 2.98 kg of heroin worth Rs 15 crore (international market) adjacent to the border fence near Jodhewala village in Jalalabad subdivision of Fazilka district on May 3. According to sources, jawans of the 52 Battalion noticed suspicious movement and challenged the suspect who fled on a bike. During search, two bottles filled with heroin and wrapped in green cloth were recovered near the fence.
Police arrested a Tanzanian woman, identified as Rahma and recovered 300 gm of heroin from her possession in Zirakpur in Mohali district.
Punjab police on May 2 identified the key accused in the smuggling of drugs at the India-Pakistan border, a day after the Border Security Force (BSF) arrested a farmer with 1 kg heroin when he was returning back after tilling his fields between the barbed wire fence and the zero line. Pooran Singh of Hardo Rattan village situated near the Attari border, who owns around five acres of agricultural land on both sides of the barbed wire fence, was identified after police got inputs from Dilbagh Singh of the same village, who was arrested on May 1. “Dilbagh has told us that he was clearing the consignment of heroin from his field at the instance of one Pooran Singh of his village. We have found that Pooran also owns around five acres of agricultural land on both sides of the barbed wire fence,” an unnamed senior Punjab police official said.
Border Security Force (BSF) on May 1 arrested a farmer, identified as Dilbag Singh with two packets of suspected heroin weighing approximately 1.2 kg near the international border in Amritsar sector in Amritsar district. According to sources, alert BSF troops arrested the farmer, while he was trying to conceal suspicious narcotic packets when he had gone ahead of the fence for farming.