Chandigarh, September 15 – In a major crackdown on a heroin smuggling ring with ties to Pakistan, the Punjab Police have arrested Amritpal Singh, also known as Fauji, an army deserter and key player in the smuggling racket. The arrest was made by the Counter Intelligence unit in Jalandhar, and authorities seized 12.5 kg of heroin from his possession, according to Punjab’s Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav.
Amritpal Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran, had been evading arrest since August when his accomplice, Sartaj, was apprehended with 33 kg of heroin at a bus stand in Jammu. DGP Yadav revealed that the drug cartel has international connections and is led by Amrit Pal Singh Baath, a notorious gangster from Mianpur village in Tarn Taran who is currently operating from Dubai.
Baath, a known figure in the criminal underworld, has between 15 and 20 cases registered against him in various police stations across Punjab, including two murder cases. Acting on intelligence reports, Counter Intelligence teams set up a special checkpoint at the canal bridge in Kangniwal village, Jalandhar. Amritpal Singh was arrested at the checkpoint, where 200 grams of heroin were found on him. Subsequent investigations led police to a hidden stash, from which they recovered an additional 12.4 kg of heroin at a location on the Tarn Taran to Jodhpur village link road, as revealed by the accused.
The police also impounded the motorcycle (PB 08 EL 5952) that Amritpal Singh was riding at the time of his arrest. Assistant Inspector General Navjot Singh Mahal disclosed that during questioning, Amritpal Singh admitted that he and his accomplice had secured a 50 kg consignment of heroin from the Akhnoor sector last month. Sartaj, his associate, was arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police with 33 kg of the heroin haul.
Following Sartaj’s arrest, Amritpal Singh hid the remaining drugs at an abandoned location. The police are continuing their investigations to trace the broader network of the smuggling operation, including its forward and backward linkages.
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