KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A wanted drug smuggler, Sarbjit Singh Sander was found murdered in Langley, Canada, on February 10, central and state security agencies confirmed on February 23. Sander was a co-accused in the Rs 6,000-crore drug smuggling case, in which dismissed cop Jagdish Bhola’s name also cropped up. He was among 11 wanted drug smugglers hiding in Canada. In February 2018, then Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had handed over the list of the 11 smugglers to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for their speedy extradition. The Punjab Police and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also moved applications for the extradition of the accused. According to Police, the murder of Sander ahead of the Assembly elections in Punjab was a curious development. “Sander’s murder is a setback to the investigation into the international drug smuggling that involves big fish,” said a police official.
Police arrested three persons, identified as Prem Singh, Paramjit Singh and Bittu Singh and recovered 160-kg poppy husk from their car in Fazilka district. According to police, they were trying to smuggle poppy husk from Rajasthan to Jalalabad. Police claimed that the accused brought poppy husk from Bikampur Bikaner for delivery in Rattewala village of Jalalabad.
A biker, identified as Naresh Odh was arrested for carrying 400 intoxicating tablets in Abohar in Fazilka district.
Amid polling in Punjab for 2022 Assembly polls, the Border Security Force (BSF) recovered three packets of contraband suspected to be heroin weighing 3 Kgs in the Abohar sector in Fazilka district on February 20. According to the official statement, observing suspicious movement ahead of the Border Security Fence in AOR of Abohar Sector, the troops fired to stop 'further misadventure' and the smuggler managed to flee away to Pakistan territory.
The Counter Intelligence wing of the Punjab Police arrested a former militant, Harjant Singh alias DC, along with 3 kg of heroin smuggled from across the International Border. Police recovered the contraband allegedly smuggled via a drone at Ghonewala village, falling under the Dera Baba Nanak police station in Gurdaspur district. Later it was found that the heroin was smuggled by a Pakistan-based smuggler.
Three men, identified as Jagtar Singh, Harjinder Singh and Daljit Singh were arrested with 13kg of opium at a checkpoint on the Sidhwan-Swaddi Kalan Link Road in Ludhiana district. Police also recovered ₹12,900, allegedly earned from the sale of drugs, from them.
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered some bottles containing 3.950 kg heroin worth Rs 20 crore along with Chinese pistols, besides two magazines and 26 live rounds, in Tarn Taran in Tarn Taran district. According to the report, the BSF jawans observed some suspicious movement and heard a thumping sound during the wee hours following which a search operation was carried out.
Police arrested a drug peddler, identified as Gurjeet Singh alias Jeeta and recovered 10 kg of opium from him in Kapurthala in Kapurthala district.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested three persons, identified as Sarbjeet Singh, Shamsher Singh and Baldev Singh, allegedly involved in the smuggling of 33kg heroin recovered by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the India-Pakistan border in Tarn Taran in December 2021. According to NCB, all the three smugglers were detained from Khemkaran area of the Tarn Taran district.
According to reports, there has been a huge recovery of narcotics in the run-up to the Punjab elections, beating the 2012 record when drugs emerged as a major issue for the first time. Since the imposition of the model code of conduct in the state, security forces under the command of the Election Commission have seized 33 kg of heroin and 4,707 kg of poppy husk. During the 2017 elections, 11.92 kg of heroin and 2,342 kg of poppy husk were seized and in 2012, the quantity was 23.54 kg and 2,707 kg.
Punjab Police’s special task force (STF) busted an international drug racket with the arrest of three people, including a former deputy superintendent of police, an NRI kabaddi player and an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) in Mohali in SAS Nagar district. The key accused, NRI kabaddi player Ranjeet Singh, alias Jeeta Maur, was allegedly running the drug racket in connivance with police officials and politicians and was parking the drug money in the real estate business. STF also recovered 100-gram heroin and a weapon from Ranjeet. Besides Ranjeet Singh, other accused are his wife Rajinder Kaur, former DSP Vimal Kant, Canada-based NRI Davinder Singh, two ASIs Munish Kumar and Jagdish Singh, Gurjant Singh and Bhupinder Singh of Tarn Taran, Simranjit Singh of Phagwara, Jalandhar-based chartered accountants (CAs) Dinesh Sarna and Manoj Sarna and Arendeep Singh of Kapurthala.
Police recovered narcotics, sharp-edged weapons and mobile phones, from gangsters lodged at Bathinda Central Jail in Bathinda district during a special search operation. Bathinda SSP Amneet Kaundal said that “a smartphone was recovered from gangster Baljinder Singh Billa. Ganja and tobacco were recovered from gangster Kirpal Singh. Apart from this, some iron material was recovered.”
The Mehat Pur police arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) absconding for one year in a case of drug peddling, identified as Jasjit Singh alias Jiti in Jalandhar district.
According to sources, Pakistan is directly involved in the narco-terror smuggling attempts along the India-Pakistan borders. Sources said, Pakistani rangers are in support of such illegal movements at the border and are constantly observing Indian movement on the borders. According to the source, the recent incident at Gurdaspur where the Border Security Force seized 57.8 kgs of heroin along with arms and ammunition from a Pakistani smuggler was an example of a similar event.
According to sources, the Election Commission (EC) has seized drugs worth nearly Rs 75 crore from Punjab in the run-up to assembly elections. EC sources said drugs worth Rs 74.64 crore were seized under the expenditure monitoring process in Punjab up to Thursday, followed by Manipur (Rs 65.54 crore), Uttar Pradesh (Rs 25.54 crore), Uttarakhand (Rs 4.03 crore) and Goa (0.98 crore).
According to sources, the Election Commission (EC) has seized drugs worth nearly Rs 75 crore from Punjab in the run-up to assembly elections. EC sources said drugs worth Rs 74.64 crore were seized under the expenditure monitoring process in Punjab up to Thursday, followed by Manipur (Rs 65.54 crore), Uttar Pradesh (Rs 25.54 crore), Uttarakhand (Rs 4.03 crore) and Goa (0.98 crore).
The Border Security Force (BSF) foiled a cross-border drug smuggling bid and recovered 58 kg heroin after an exchange of fire with Pakistani smugglers in which one BSF jawan was injured in an area under Chandu Wadala border outpost along the Indo-Pak border in Gurdaspur district. Gurdaspur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nanak Singh said that the exchange of fire took place between the BSF troops and Pakistani smugglers after the latter tried to push drugs through a pipe into the Indian territory. BSF, during the search operation, recovered 47 packets of heroin and seven packets of opium. Besides, a Chinese-made Norinco pistol with two magazines, 9 mm Pietro Beretta pistol with one magazine, 74 rounds of AK-47 with four magazines, 44 rounds of 0.3 calibre and 12 rounds of 9 mm were also seized by the BSF. A 15-foot-long plastic pipe was recovered from the spot.
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) arrested a cross-border drug peddler, identified as Balwinder Singh alias Vindi and recovered heroin worth Rs 5 crore in Ferozepur district.
Punjab police teams raided different places and arrested 10 peddlers and recovered a total of 37.05 gm of smack, 1.5-kg opium, 1.7 kg of poppy and 685 gm of ganja from their possession.
The Khanna district police arrested two drug peddlers, identified as Tirath Singh and Ramjan Mohammad and seized nearly 142 kilograms of poppy husk and 2 vehicles used in the crime from the accused following two connected raids in Sihar and Shahpur villages in Khanna district.
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered around 7.25-kg heroin, smuggled from Pakistan with the help of a drone, near Muhawa border outpost in Amritsar district on the intervening night of January 19 and 20. The BSF troops fired at the unmanned aerial vehicle and also lit up the area with illumination bombs to locate the drone after hearing a humming sound. The technique was used for the first time by the BSF. It said the troops heard a sound of dropping from the flying object. The area was immediately cordoned and a search operation was launched in the morning that led to the recovery of seven packets of 7.25-kg heroin, the officials said.
Infamous drug peddler, Poonam alias “Bhabi” and her accomplice, Sandeep Khatri, were arrested with heroin in Chandigarh on January 20. Police recovered 404gm heroin from Poonam and another 205.9gm heroin was recovered from Khatri. According to police, Khatri had come to deliver heroin to Poonam.
A drug peddler, Birbhan (36), who was arrested in an Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case and was presently out on bail, was rearrested by the UT police with 1.125 kg of charas from the Indira Colony in Chandigarh.
The Border Security Force (BSF), in three separate incidents, on January 12 recovered six packets of heroin weighing nearly 6.3 kilograms and tied in yellow wrapping, one pistol, one magazine and 50 rounds along the Indo-Pak border in Ferozepur and Amritsar Sector in Punjab, allegedly being pushed in by the Pakistani-based smugglers.
The Border Security Force (BSF) thwarted an attempt of Pakistan-based smugglers to push narcotics and ammunition inside the Indian territory by recovering 22 kilograms of heroin in three separate incidents in Ferozepur sector in Punjab. One pistol along with a magazine and eight live cartridges was also recovered. Besides heroin and ammunition, 430 grams of opium was also recovered, sources said.
Police arrested a warden of Bathinda Central Jail and recovered 15 grams of heroin from his possession. According to police, the warden was supplying heroin to the jail inmates.
According to reports, Border Security Force (BSF), Punjab Frontier had killed 6 Pakistani smugglers and intruders in the year 2021. The force also captured one Pakistan drone and seized over 484 kg of heroin from the 553 km stretch of Indo Pak international border in Punjab during 2021. A spokesperson of the BSF, Punjab Frontier, informed that though the Indo Pak international border in Punjab was challenging and tough yet they had been able to thwart the cross-border smuggling, intrusion, etc. attempts. “During the year 2021, BSF troops of Punjab Frontier have maintained a high level of alertness and vigil which resulted in successfully detected and captured 1 Pak drone and seizing of 484.505 kgs heroin, 58 different calibre weapons, 3322 rounds,” said the spokesperson adding that the troops had also been successful in killing 6 Pak smugglers and intruder. He also informed that they had also apprehended 16 Pak nationals and 1 Bangladeshi national in different incidents across the 553 km stretch of Indo Pak international border.
The Special Task Force (STF) arrested a smuggler, identified as Akashdeep Singh, and recovered 1.5 kg of heroin from him at Moti Nagar in Ludhiana district. During preliminary questioning, Akashdeep admitted that he had been into the notorious trade for two years and used to bring heroin from some big smuggler of Ferozepur.
The Special Task Force (STF) arrested a smuggler, identified as Jugraj Singh (23), and recovered 600 grams of heroin from him in Sector 32, Chandigarh Road. A case under the NDPS Act was registered against him. He was nabbed from Sector 32, Chandigarh Road in Ludhiana district. Official sources said Jugraj Singh had links with many jailed smugglers in Punjab and he was running a drug network at their behest.
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 0.95 Kg of heroin, which was pushed from Pakistan through the river Satluj in Punjab. BSF Punjab spokesperson said, “On 31st Dec' 2021, vigilant Border Security Force troops, deployed along the River Sutlej bank in the area of responsibility of Ferozepur Sector observed some suspicious item floating in River Sutlej from Pakistan to India side. Thereafter, troops dragged the suspected item towards the bank and when it was searched, they recovered and seized 01 Pkt of contraband (weight appx 0.950 Kg) suspected to be Heroin”.
Ludhiana Special Task Force arrested two accused and seized 1.7 kg heroin from them. Acting on a tip off, police stopped three accused. Two of them were nabbed while the third escaped from the spot.
In a joint operation, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the counter intelligence wing of Punjab Police recovered a cache of arms and ammunition along the barbed wire fence on the Indo-Pak border near Khemkaran village in Tarn Taran District on October 20. Counter intelligence wing inspector Inderdeep Singh said the seizure included 22 foreign-made pistols, 100 rounds of ammunition, 44 magazines, and one kilogram of heroin and 72 grams of opium. Officials suspect that the consignment may have been smuggled with drones.
Four aides of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operative Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, were arrested with three sophisticated weapons, 14 live cartridges, and 300 grams of heroin, from Mehna Police Station area in Moga District on October 1. The arrestees have been identified as Amandeep Singh alias Machher, Jaswinder Singh alias Jassu, Balraj Singh, and Arun Sarwan. Moga District Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Dhruman H Nimbale said they arrested Amandeep with a Beretta M9 pistol, four live cartridges and 300gm of heroin.
Shahkot police arrested two persons, identified as Karaj Singh and Gursab Singh who were carrying 1 kilogram and 300 grams opium in their vehicle from near River Sutlej bridge in Shahkot in Jalandhar district.
Jalandhar rural police busted an inter-city drug racket and arrested a drug smuggler, Lachman Singh along with 1 kg heroin and arms from Adampur in Jalandhar district. Police also recovered 1 kg heroin, two pistols (.32 bore), two pistols (.30 bore), six cartridges 7.65 (.32 bore) and another six cartridges (.30 bore) from him.
Police arrested a drug supplier, Mandeep Singh Mannu (26) who had been evading arrest for the past 10 months by taking shelter in different towns in Punjab.
Anti-narcotics cell of the district police arrested a man, identified as Satnam Singh along with 268 gm of heroin from Shekh Fatta village in Tarn Taran district on June 12.
Police arrested six drug peddlers and recovered narcotics and a jeep from their possession from Kapurthala district on June 12. During the operation named "Siege and Search", police seized 260gm heroin from Rajvir Singh and 265gm heroin from Sukhjivan Singh, 450 intoxicant pills from Lakhwinder Singh, 510 intoxicant pills from Amarjit Singh, 270gm of Narcotics powder and one Scorpio car from accused Harpal Singh alias Pala and 150Kg of illicit liquor was also seized from accused Kulvir Singh.
Bilga police arrested a drug peddler, identified as Balvir Singh alias Billa on the charge of selling poppy husk and recovered 2 kilograms of contraband in Nurmahal in Jalandhar district on June 12.
Police arrested two smugglers, identified as Rajwant singh alias Raju and Sameer Mohamad and recovered 50 grams of opium and intoxicant tablets from the accused in separate cases from police station Rawalpindi and Kotwali Kapurthala area in Kapurthala district.
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has made it clear that, investigating a drugs case, end-to-end encrypted WhatsApp chats can be dug into and analysed by government agencies with the help of forensic specialists.
Police arrested a woman drug peddler, identified as Kulwinder Kaur and recovered 40 gm of heroin from her procession near Phagwara road, Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur district.
Hajipur Police arrested a man, identified as Rahul and recovered 28 gm of intoxicating powder from him in Jhading village in Hoshiarpur district.
Irate over the increasing number of deaths due to overdose of drugs, the panchayat of Shamkhera village in Lambi of Muktsar District has appealed to drug peddlers to mend their ways and passed a resolution in this regard.
Police arrested three drug peddlers, identified as Hans Raj alias Hans, Balwindar Singh alias Gopi and Kulbir Singh alias Lakha along with 1 kilogram heroin, one pistol and a magazine in Shahkot in Jalandhar district.
The Border Security Force (BSF) and police arrested two persons, identified as Roop Singh Valmiki and Harmesh Singh, who had allegedly gone to Khajuwala near the Sriganganagar-Bikaner highway to collect 54 packets of heroin that was pushed into India by Pakistan smugglers on the wee hour of June 4.
Police busted an interstate intoxicant tablet smuggling network with the arrest of two drug peddlers and recovered 1,15,350 tablets and 51 kg poppy husk from them in Fazilka district.
Police arrested a drug peddler of Delhi, identified as Pritpal Singh after it recovered 1kg of heroin from his possession at Doraha in Ludhiana district.
Anti-Narcotics staff arrested two persons, Mangal Singh Manga and Ganagdeep Singh Raja and recovered 2.6 kg of opium from their possession in Tarn Taran district.
Police, in separate cases, arrested 10 persons and recovered more than 7,000 intoxicant tablets and drug money worth Rs 9 lakh besides 3-gram heroin in Ferozepur district.