Punjab police seize heroin and assault rifles in alleged drone-smuggling case

Punjab Police have arrested three people in Amritsar district and seized 10.030 kilograms of heroin, two assault rifles and ammunition in an investigation into an alleged cross-border smuggling network. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the suspects were linked to foreign-based smugglers and were procuring weapons and narcotics for onward distribution in Punjab. The investigation is continuing to identify others connected to the network.

Police said the suspects had leased about one acre of land for a guava orchard in Modhe village, roughly 500 metres from the India-Pakistan border. According to the police account, the site was used to receive and retrieve consignments dropped by drones from across the border. The seized weapons were identified as an AK-47 and an AK-56 assault rifle.

Officers also recovered three magazines and 10 live cartridges, police said. The arrested people were identified as Sandeep Singh, 32, his wife Kamaljit Kaur, 31, and her brother Bikramjit Singh, 23. All three are residents of Amritsar Rural, according to police.

Amritsar Rural Senior Superintendent of Police Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal said Sandeep Singh and Kamaljit Kaur allegedly managed the cross-border operation. He said Bikramjit Singh acted as a courier, helping to retrieve, transport and deliver the consignments. Police described Sandeep Singh as a history-sheeter with four previous cases registered under laws including the Arms Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Border Range Inspector General Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the arrests followed specific intelligence and a targeted operation by officers from Gharinda police station.