KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
Police on September 25 arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Harjinder Singh and Nirmal Singh, and seized 2 kg of heroin from their possession near Makhu town in Ferozepur district. The accused were riding a motorcycle without a registration number, and the heroin was discovered during a vehicle inspection.
The Border Security Force (BSF) in a joint operation with Punjab Police, on September 24, arrested two individuals identified as Jagpreet Singh and Surinder Singh and recovered 12 kg of heroin and INR 19.3 lakh from their possession, from near Chaura Kalan village in Gurdaspur district. Three suspects were spotted riding a motorcycle and behaving suspiciously. Subsequently, two of them were apprehended while attempting to flee a checkpoint. The police are currently searching for the third suspect.
The counter-intelligence (CI) wing of Punjab Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) on September 23 recovered a small drone and 500 gm of heroin on the outskirts of Mahawa village in Amritsar district. The recovered drone is a Quadcopter (Model - DJI Mavic 3 classic) made in China.
Amritsar Police on September 19 busted a cross-border heroin smuggling module based in Pakistan, arresting one of its members, Gurjit Singh along with INR 13.5 lakh in drug money, 850 grams of heroin, and a car in Cheecha village in Amritsar district. Investigations revealed that the operation was orchestrated by jailed drug smuggler Gurwinder Singh alias Mehak, from Kapurthala Central Jail. Gurjit admitted to smuggling approximately 40 kg of heroin in the past month. He received heroin supplies from an unidentified source in Pakistan and transported them through various means, including the riverine route and drones. Gurjit also confessed to collaborating with Pakistani smugglers and using hawala networks to transfer proceeds, raising concerns of potential terror funding.
Police on September 18 arrested five individuals, identified as Kashmir Singh, Swaran Singh alias Chapar, Amandeep Singh, Rahul and Atul and recovered 6 kilograms of heroin along with INR 7 lakh cash from their possession near Ramidi bridge in Kapurthala district. According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajpal Singh Sandhu, Sukhdev Singh alias Sebi transported the heroin from Delhi and then distributed it to two brothers named Rahul and Atul. The brothers were allegedly planning to pass the heroin to the other three individuals. Police are making efforts to apprehend Sukhdev, who remains at large.
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on September 17, recovered 3.130 kg of heroin airdropped by a Pakistani drone in Amisha village in Tarn Taran district.
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on September 17, recovered a large parcel containing 2.5 kg of heroin from a field after intercepting and shooting down the drone near Gatti Rajoke village in Ferozepur district.
The staff of the Counter-Intelligence (CI) Wing of Punjab Police on September 17 arrested a smuggler identified as Jagdish Singh and seized 1 kg of heroin from his possession in Lakho ke Behram village in Ferozepur district. Jagdish, during interrogation, revealed that he, along with two other individuals named Bittu Singh and Buta Singh, had brought a heroin consignment from Pakistan.
Police personnel at Faridkot Modern Jail on September 17 arrested two women, identified as Preeti and Simran Kaur and seized 30 grams of heroin and 105 grams of sulfa drugs, along with a mobile phone and a sim card from their possession, in Faridkot district. According to Assistant Jail Superintendent Karamjit Singh Bhullar, the women were allegedly attempting to smuggle heroin to their husbands inside the jail with the help of Vishal Singh, an inmate of the jail.
Punjab State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) on September 15 arrested three cross-border smugglers identified as Gurmeet Singh, Angrej Singh and Balwinder Singh alias Billa and seized 1.6 kg of heroin from their possession near Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran district. The heroin is suspected to have been delivered via a drone by smugglers based in Pakistan, with whom the arrested individuals had links.
The Border Security Force (BSF) along with Punjab Police on September 15 recovered 1.710 kg of heroin based on the input provided by Jalandhar Rural Police, in Tendi Wala village in Ferozepur district.
A man identified as Amandeep Singh died from a drug overdose on September 11 in Moga city in Moga district. Police have arrested his friend Baldeep Singh alias Bablu, and an unidentified drug supplier based on the statement of the deceased's father Kewal Singh. Amandeep and Baldeep had consumed 'chitta' (heroin) procured from an unidentified supplier on September 11.
The Border Security Force (BSF) on September 11 recovered a bottle containing about 1.3 kilograms of heroin, near Mehdipur village in Tarn Taran district. The bottle was concealed in the flood debris collected alongside the international border (IB) fence.
Punjab Police on September 10 conducted Operation 'SEAL-4' in collaboration with four neighboring states- Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir. They arrested 64 individuals and seized 667 grams of heroin, two pistols along with ammunition, 35 kg of poppy husk, INR 1.48 lakh in cash, 40 grams of smack, 9275 bottles of licit liquor, 170 bottles of illicit liquor, and 17 vehicles. Additionally, they filed 49 First Information Reports (FIRs). The operation was conducted between 8 am and 2 pm and involved strong checkpoints at inter-state boundaries in 10 border districts.
Police on September 9 arrested five criminals and recovered a large quantity of drugs from their possession, near Navi Nagar village in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. The criminals were arrested after a two-hour-long encounter. The police had been pursuing these individuals, who had multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) against them, for several weeks. Acting on a tip-off about their presence at a bhog ceremony, the police followed them, leading to the encounter.
Punjab Police’s State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) on September 8 arrested an individual identified as Pritam Singh and recovered 15 kilograms of heroin and a tractor-trolley from his possession near Dhani Kharas Wali village in Fazilka district. The heroin was recovered hidden under wheat straws in the tractor-trolley, in which Pritam was travelling, along with his wife Kushalia Bai and son-in-law Gurmit Singh. While Pritam was arrested during an inspection at a checkpoint, Kushalia and Gurmit escaped.
Punjab Police on September 7 arrested an alleged drug trafficker, identified as Malkait Singh alias Kali and recovered 9 kilograms of heroin from his possession from near Boparai Canal Bridge near Goraya Jalandhar district. According to Jalandhar Rural's Senior Superintendent of Police, Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar, Malkait Singh reportedly had connections with a Pakistan-based drug smuggler Haider Ali, and had allegedly sent three swimmers to Pakistan to retrieve a 50 kg heroin consignment through a riverine route. The Police had previously seized 22.5 kg of heroin, bringing the total amount recovered to 31.5 kg. Police teams are actively searching for the remaining drug smugglers.
Punjab police, on September 6, busted a major trans-border narcotics smuggling ring by arresting a drug smuggler identified as Harpreet Singh and recovering 15 kilograms of heroin and a Hyundai Grand i-10 car from his possession in New Ranjitpura in Amritsar district. Following his arrest, four associates of Harpreet, identified as Gagandeep Singh alias Guggu alias Haddi, Rahul Singh, and Harpreet Singh alias Happy Jatt, were nominated by the police, according to the Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav. Harpreet was arrested following a tip-off provided by a village defense committee (VDC) constituted by the Punjab Police in border villages to apprehend drug smugglers.
Police on September 4 arrested two youths, identified as Pawan of Bir Talab and Gurwinder Singh and recovered 400 gm of heroin from their possession in Bir Talab village in Bathinda district. After arresting Pawan and seizing 400 grams of heroin from his possession, the police arrested Gurwinder Singh, a college student, based on Pawan’s disclosure.
The Tarn Taran police on September 4 busted a drug and hawala racket by arresting six individuals identified as Lovejit Singh alias Lovepreet Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Sukhmanjit Singh, Shashank Wadhwan, and his two brothers, Abhishek Wadhwan and Neeraj Wadhwan. Police also recovered a .315 bore pistol, 1.2 kilograms of heroin, and INR 1.14 crore in drug money from their possession. Lovejit, Sukhwinder, and Sukhmanjit were arrested in Amritsar, Punjab, while Shashank, Abhishek, and Neeraj were arrested in Madhya Pradesh (MP).
Police on September 4 arrested one person, identified as Vishal Kumar and seized 10 grams of heroin and a pistol of .315 bore from his possession, near Lalheri village in Ludhiana district. Another .315 bore pistol was also recovered, following his interrogation.
The Punjab Police, on September 2, busted a drug cartel that was being operated from inside Faridkot jail in Punjab, by arresting seven persons and recovering 15 kilograms of heroin and INR 7 lakh in drug money from them. On September 1, the police arrested the delivery persons, identified as Gurpinder Singh alias Bhinda, Narinder Singh, Ranjodh Singh alias Jodha, and recovered 15 kilograms heroin from their possession, from near Haruwal village in Dera Baba Nanak Tehsil in Gurdaspur district. On the basis of information provided by Bhinda, the police arrested the four receivers on September 2, identified as Rajdeep Singh, Ram Singh, Jaspal Singh and Rajwinder Kaur and recovered INR 7 lakh drug money and two cars from their possession, near Town Hall in Amritsar city in Amritsar district. The mastermind, Jaspreet Singh alias Kali, currently in Faridkot Jail, was discovered to be coordinating a drug cartel with Pakistan-based smugglers via WhatsApp.
Four smugglers, Rajdeep Singh, Ram Singh, Jaspal Singh and Rajwinder Singh who were arrested on September 2 in connection with a cross-border drug smuggling operation involving drones, were sent to three-day police custody by the Duty Magistrate in Batala Gurdaspur district.
A video depicting a young girl involved in a drug-related transaction went viral on September 1, leading to the arrest of Gurjant Singh, the girl's brother, in Badshahpur village of Kapurthala district. The police recovered 10 grams of heroin from his possession, while the girl and her mother remain at large.
The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Punjab Police, in a joint search operation, on September 1, recovered 2.7 kilograms of heroin from near the international border (IB) on the outskirts of Mehdipur village in Tarn Taran district. The heroin consignment was found in a white coloured sack with illuminating strips and hooks attached to it, indicative of a drone drop.
A joint team of the Punjab Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) on September 1 recovered 2.43 kilograms of heroin from the residence of an individual, identified as Bittu Singh, in Tarn Taran in Tarn Taran district.
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on August 30 recovered six packets heroin weighing 6.3 kilograms and one packet of opium weighing 70 grams, concealed in a 12-volt battery, near the international border (IB), near Dostpur village in Gurdaspur district.
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on August 30 recovered 2.6 kilograms of heroin dropped by a drone at a farming field on the outskirts of Ranian village in Amritsar district.
Police on August 30 arrested one person, identified as Jashanpreet Singh and seized 10 gm heroin from his possession in Ram Nagar in Abohar in Fazilka district.
Khanna Police on August 28 arrested two individuals, identified as Sukhwinder Singh alias Laddi and Gurpreet Singh alias Sodhi and recovered 248 kilograms of poppy husk and 500 grams of opium from their possession, near Dehru in Khanna tehsil of Ludhiana district.
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with the Punjab Police, on August 28, recovered 520 grams of heroin in a yellow packet with a hook attached to it, likely dropped by a drone, near the International Border (IB) in Amritsar sector in Amritsar district.
Police arrested siblings, identified as Karanvir Kaur and Gurpreet Singh for allegedly selling heroin to Manpreet Singh, who died of drug overdose on August 25, and recovered 5 grams of heroin and Rs 25,000 drug money from them, in Bhaloor village in Moga district. Based on the investigation, it was found that Manpreet obtained drugs from the siblings residing in the same village, who are also involved in selling heroin.
Punjab Police’s Special Task Force (STF) on August 27 arrested an alleged drug smuggler, identified as Partap Singh, and recovered 350 grams of heroin from his possession near Rayya in Amritsar district. The STF received intelligence about his smuggling activities and attempted to apprehend him at a checkpoint near Dunial village in Baba Bakala tehsil of Amritsar district. The suspect fired at the police, prompting them to return fire and injure him. According to Jagjit Singh Soroa, Assistant Inspector General (AIG), STF, Jalandhar, Singh has been hospitalised and will be quizzed after discharge.
Khanna Police on August 27 arrested two persons, identified as Yousuf Masih and Gogo Devi and recovered 150 kilograms of poppy husk from their possession near Maloud in Ludhiana district.
Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, in a joint operation, on August 24 recovered 360 grams of heroin from the outskirts of Rajoke village in Tarn Taran district.
Punjab Police on August 23 shared a video showing a Pakistani drone airdropping a small packet of heroin in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab. According to the police, smugglers from across the border are now resorting to delivering narcotics during the daytime as well, posing a fresh challenge for the security forces. On the same day, Tarn Taran Police arrested an individual identified as Jugraj Singh in the Tarn Taran district and recovered 2 kilograms of heroin along with a drone from his possession. Singh was arrested when his bike was intercepted at a checkpoint, according to Tarn Taran Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurmeet Chauhan.
The Anti-drug Special Task Force (STF) of Punjab Police on August 23 arrested three members of a cross-border drug smuggling module, identified as Agyapal Singh, Ranjodh Singh alias Rana and Sandeep Singh and recovered 41 kilograms of heroin and four mobile phones from their possession, in Mehmed Mandara Wala village in Amritsar district. The heroin was found concealed under the brick floor of a cattle shed.
Police on August 23 arrested two persons, identified as Lovepreet Singh alias Sonu and Akashdeep Singh and recovered 1.290 kilograms of heroin along with INR 30 lakh drug money, one .32 bore pistol with two magazines and 8 bullets from their possession near Bhuse village in Tarn Taran district.
Punjab Police, along with the Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation on August 23, recovered a broken drone and 3.5 kilograms of heroin from the outskirts of Hazara Singh Wala village in Ferozepur district.
A joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, on August 22 recovered 450 grams of heroin in a bottle from a farming field near Roranwala village in Amritsar district of Punjab. The BSF troops detected a buzzing sound from a suspected drone entering Indian territory on August 21 night in the same area, and a subsequent search of the area on August 22 morning led to the recovery.
In a joint operation, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Punjab Police on August 21 arrested two Pakistani smugglers and recovered 29.26 kilograms of heroin from their possession near Gatti Matar village in Mamdot Tehsil in Ferozepur district. The smugglers were apprehended after troops challenged them and fired upon them, with one of them sustaining a hand injury.
The Punjab Police on August 19 carried out a special operation named 'OPS Seal-III' in collaboration with the police forces of neighboring states, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. This operation resulted in the arrest of 49 individuals, the issuance of fines (challans) to 329 vehicles, the impoundment of 25 vehicles, and the seizure of INR 45 lakh in cash, 30 kilograms of poppy husk, 374 grams of heroin, 500 grams of charas, and 263 liters of illicit liquor. The operation involved 1,500 personnel and covered 10 inter-state border districts of Punjab- Pathankot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, Ropar, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (SAS) Nagar, Patiala, Sangrur, Mansa, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda.
Jalandhar Rural Police on August 17 arrested a drug smuggler, identified as Joga Singh and seized 8 kilograms of heroin from his possession in Ludhiana in Ludhiana district. Singh is believed to have retrieved the heroin consignment from Pakistan through trans-border networks, according to Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
The Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police in a joint operation on August 16 recovered a bottle filled with 200 gm of heroin on the outskirts of Naushera Dhalla village in Tarn Taran district.
Border Security Force (BSF) and the Punjab Police, during a joint search operation on August 16, recovered 2.8 kilograms of heroin on the outskirts of Machiwara village in Ferozepur district.
The Border Security Force (BSF) on August 14 recovered a packet containing 1.1 kilograms of heroin from an abandoned tractor in Tarn Taran sector in Tarn Taran district.
On August 13, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Punjab Police, during a joint operation, recovered three packets of heroin weighing around 3 kilograms near Machiwara village in Ferozepur district.
The Border Security Force (BSF), on August 13, during a search operation, recovered a packet of heroin weighing 530 grams on the outskirts of Dhanoe Kalan village in Amritsar district.
Police on August 12 arrested one person, identified as Rajan Kumar and recovered 2 kg heroin from his possession in Ferozepur Cantonment in Ferozepur district.
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) branch of Punjab Police on August 12 arrested two persons, identified as Swaranjit Singh alias Sabbu and Shubham and seized 1.5 kg heroin, a motorcycle and a mobile phone from their possession in Ferozepur city in Ferozepur district.