Punjab Police today claimed that it had seized a consignment of 50 kg heroin hours after it was smuggled into the country from Pakistan and arrested three suspected smugglers.
The seizure, "which is among the largest hauls in India", was made yesterday by a team of Counter Intelligence officials of Amritsar, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) S S Saini told reporters here.
The arrested smugglers were identified as Angrej Singh, Raj Singh and Joginder Singh, all hailing from Khemkaran in district Tarn Taran. Fifty kg heroin, 250 gram opium and a 30 bore pistol were seized from the gang.
Yesterday's seizure came close on the heels of two major hauls of 25 kg heroin on February 18 from the Fazilka Sector and eight kg heroin on January 24 from the Ferozepur Sector.
"The 25-kg consignment was sent by Lahore-based drug lord Imtiaz and the 8-kg package was sent by another Lahore-based drug lord, Hazi, while the present consignment originated from Shehbaj alias Kala. All three seizures were effected within 24 hours of the consignments crossing the border," Saini claimed.
Saini said a tip-off was received that Pakistan-based drug lord Shehbaj Ahmed alias Kala was in touch with Indian smugglers including Angrej Singh, Raj Singh and Joginder Singh by using Indian SIM card from across the international border.
"Joginder owns agricultural land across the barbed wire fencing in the area of BOP Gazal and had access across the barbed wire fencing for agricultural purposes," the DGP said.
"A novel modus operandi was adopted by the smugglers. Joginder informed the Border Security Force (BSF) authorities that he wanted to cut a tree on his land very close to the international border and then started cutting the tree and chopping it into wooden blocks.
"Packages containing the drug were then concealed under wooden blocks by the Pakistani smugglers under the cover of darkness... Joginder retrieved the wooden blocks from his land to his house in village Gazal," the police officer said.
"The Counter Intelligence team raided his house, made the seizure and arrested the three. Raids are also being conducted to nab other recipients of heroin consignment," he said.
A case under various sections of the Arms Act, the NDPS Act and under other relevant provisions has been registered against the three accused.
The state police chief said, "After controlling the local availability of drugs and neutralising internal distribution network, Punjab Police is now focusing on plugging supply lines from across the international border.
