Ferozepur (Gurpreet Singh): In a major breakthrough in the ongoing campaign to eradicate illegal narcotics from the state, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Ferozepur Range has dismantled a cross-border drug smuggling cartel with the arrest of three individuals and the recovery of 30.672 kilograms of heroin. The operation, executed under the directive of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to establish a drug-free Punjab, was confirmed on Tuesday by Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav.
The arrested suspects have been identified as 24-year-old Anmolpreet Singh, alias Anmol, of Kasuri Gate, Ferozepur; 22-year-old Akash Singh, alias Akash, a native of Gulam Pattra village currently residing in Sant Kabir Nagar, Ferozepur; and 25-year-old Anshpreet Singh, alias Ansh, a resident of Raj Ghat, Ferozepur. Alongside the major contraband seizure, law enforcement authorities impounded a Hyundai Verna sedan that was actively being used to transport the illicit consignment.
This successful interception follows a similar high-profile joint operation conducted recently by the Punjab Police and the Border Security Force (BSF), which resulted in the apprehension of two suspects and the seizure of 30.200 kilograms of heroin. According to preliminary findings shared by DGP Gaurav Yadav, the narcotics consignment was dispatched across the International Border by a foreign-based drug handler and received by an Indian associate near Ali Ke village in Ferozepur for further transportation and distribution.
Providing further details regarding the tactical operation, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) ANTF Nilabh Kishore explained that officers acted on precise human intelligence regarding the movement of the retrieved contraband. Task force teams led by Superintendent of Police (ANTF) Ferozepur Range Gurinderbir Singh set up an extensive trap along the Ferozepur-Fazilka highway, successfully intercepting the vehicle and apprehending all three occupants before the drugs could be distributed.
State police officials confirmed that an official case under Sections 21 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered at the ANTF Police Station in SAS Nagar. Authorities are conducting exhaustive investigations into both backward and forward supply linkages to uncover the full network and identify all local and international associates involved in the smuggling operation.
