Jaipur, April 7 (IANS) In a joint operation by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Barmer Police, two arrested smugglers — Salman Khan and Shankar Ram, have, during questioning, exposed a highly secretive international drug smuggling network.

The prime accused, Salman Khan, said that he had been in contact for the past six months with a Pakistani handler identified as Masad, a resident of Nimla village in Pakistan.

The connection was facilitated by Rahim Khan, a resident of Salman’s village and reportedly a relative of the Pakistan-based handler.

Exploiting Salman’s financial distress, the Pakistan handler lured him into the drug smuggling trade by offering substantial monetary gains through a ‘dead drop’ or location-based delivery system.

Rajasthan Additional Director General of Police (ADG) (Crime), Dinesh M.N., said that investigations have revealed the operation to be entirely digital and location-driven.

The Pakistani handler would transmit GPS coordinates via WhatsApp calls, directing the accused to specific locations, often in restricted border areas or beneath isolated Khejri trees.

The accused Salman would retrieve narcotics packets buried underground at these locations.

Similarly, cash payments were either deposited digitally into his Airtel Payments Bank account or concealed in the ground at designated sites, with coordinates shared post-task completion.

During the police questioning, accused Salman disclosed that he had recently recovered five packets of narcotics on April 4 from a location nearly 250 metres from the international border, where they had been buried inside a yellow plastic sack.

He also admitted to previously delivering a packet, buried months earlier, to another designated point, for which he received a significant cash reward hidden at a separate location.

Investigators also revealed that this drug network has been operational for several years, with similar drug smuggling activities reported in border hamlets such as Bhabhutiyon ki Dhani and nearby areas five to six years ago.

The operation was executed with extreme secrecy, operatives remained unaware of each other’s identities, and all communication records, including location data and chat histories, were routinely deleted after each task.

Authorities are currently analysing accused Salman’s mobile data, WhatsApp communications, and financial transactions.

A search operation is underway to locate Rahim Khan and dismantle the broader cross-border network.

Rajasthan ADG Dinesh M.N. also revealed that the accused made alarming disclosures indicating that the smuggling network extended beyond narcotics to include explosives and illegal weapons.

Following these revelations, the Rajasthan ATS, Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), Barmer Police, and multiple intelligence agencies have been placed on high alert.

Acting on these inputs, joint teams have conducted raids across Barmer district and detained several suspects, who are currently under questioning.

Senior officials, including ATS Superintendent of Police (SP) Gyanchand Yadav and Barmer SP Chunaram Jat, along with AGTF and Intelligence personnel, are leading the investigation.

Preliminary findings suggest that the handlers operating from across Pakistan may have intended not only to smuggle contraband but also to disrupt peace and stability in the region through the supply of explosives and arms.

Authorities say the ongoing joint questioning could uncover a wider inter-state and international network.

Efforts are underway to identify possible hideouts and locations where explosives and weapons may have been concealed.

Based on leads from mobile data and digital communications, further arrests and significant recoveries are expected in the coming days.

Security agencies have intensified operations to fully dismantle the syndicate.

–IANS

arc/khz