Arrested Pak-Backed Smuggler Leads Amritsar Police To Seizure Of Another 13.72 KG Heroin

Pakistan-backed drug smuggler, Shamsher Singh alias Shera, arrested last week, has led the Amritsar Rural police to the seizure of another contraband of heroin, taking the total haul of the drug to 22.22 kg so far.The latest haul came at the border fence in village Daoke, PS Gharinda, according to a police spokesperson. Acting on the revelations made by the accused in custody, Amritsar Rural police had laid a trap, leading to the recovery of the cache.  It may be recalled that Shera had been arrested on Friday last with 8.5 kgs of heroin and Rs 28 lakh in drug money near border village of Bharobhal in Gharinda.Interrogations had revealed that the accused was in constant touch with his Pakistan-based handlers over phone and social media/OTT applications.

A case FIR No. 166 u/s 21 of NDPS Act, 1985, dated 13.09.2019 of PS Ajanala, was registered against the accused.The consignment seized was meant for supply to local smugglers/ peddlers, and further investigation was underway to unveil the entire conspiracy, said the spokesperson.The arrest and seizure are the result of the Punjab Police’s Comprehensive Drug Action Plan, being implemented by IG/DIG ranges, Police Commissioner and the SSPs, as part of Captain Amarinder Singh led government’s campaign against drugs.

The state police, including the STF, had since March 2019, registered 31081 cases under NDPS Act, leading to the arrest of 38117 persons. There were 12358 drug smugglers in Jails at the end of August, including 8802 undertrials and 3556 convicts. More than 111780 KGs of poppy husk, 1333 KG Opium beside 353 KG smack and charas have been seized in this period. Recent cases include the seizure of 532 kgs of drugs being smuggled by Pakistan backed narco-smugglers via Attari in July this year, as well as busting of an espionage/drug smuggling module run by an Army constable Malkit Singh of village Mohawa, with seizure of more than 5 kg of heroin.More than 133900 persons have been undertaking treatment in government de-addiction, Rehabilitation and OOAT Centres, while 187495 were enrolled in private centres, said the spokesperson.The identification of major drug smugglers and their subsequent arrests under PITNDPS Act have considerably impacted the supply chain, the spokesperson added. In another major success, in August, the police seized 1 KG of Heroin, .32 bore Pistol & 61 rounds with drug money worth Rs 23 lac, a Swift car and three mobiles, with the arrest of J&K based drug offender Muhammad Ashraf, the spokesperson further said.