Chandigarh, May 20 (IANS) In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a drug-free state, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busted an international drug cartel with the arrest of two persons and recovered 10 kg ICE (methamphetamine) and 4 kg heroin from their possession, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said on Wednesday.

Those arrested have been identified as Mohit alias Bachi, 19, a resident of Pavaar village in Jalandhar, and Arshdeep Singh, alias Arsh, alias Harman, 23, a resident of Kot Khalsa in Amritsar.

DGP Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested accused were in contact with a Dubai-based drug smuggler operating from Abu Dhabi and Dubai and were acting under his directions to traffic narcotics in Punjab and Delhi.

The DGP said that the arrested accused Mohit had recently returned from Dubai, where he was allegedly trained and tasked with transporting consignments of heroin and ICE. The accused were further supplying the narcotics across the Majha and Doaba regions, he said.

Sharing operational details, Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that acting on specific intelligence inputs and in a well-planned operation, police teams apprehended both Mohit and Arshdeep Singh when they were going on a motorcycle, and recovered ICE (methamphetamine) and 4 kg heroin from their possession after searching them.

Bhullar said that during interrogation, accused Mohit revealed that the Dubai-based smuggler was targeting young labour-class individuals and used to motivate them to participate in drug trafficking activities.

The probe has also revealed that accused Arshdeep, who was already involved in drug trafficking activities, was in direct contact with the Dubai-based smuggler and was storing heroin consignments sent through unknown persons, which were later handed over to Mohit for further delivery, he added.

In February this year as well, two associates of the same Dubai-based smuggler, identified as Sahibpreet Singh, alias Sahib, and Gagandeep Singh, alias Gagan, were arrested with 7.6 kg of heroin and Rs 21,000 drug money.

Moreover, the mother and sister of the Dubai-based smuggler are presently lodged in Central Jail Amritsar in connection with an FIR registered under the NDPS Act at Police Station Raja Sansi involving the recovery of 42 kg heroin.

Bhullar said that further investigation is underway to establish backward and forward linkages in this case to identify other members of the network and ascertain additional recoveries. In this regard, a case dated May 18 under Sections 21-C and 29 of the NDPS Act has been registered at Police Station Chheharta in Amritsar.

–IANS

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