2 held, over 51 kg heroin recovered in Amritsar

Amritsar: In a major crackdown on cross-border narco-smuggling, the Amritsar (Rural) police on Friday recovered 51.5 kg of heroin from close to the international border with Pakistan.

The seizure comes a day after recovery of 42 kg of the contraband in another operation, signaling an intensified push of narcotics by drug syndicates from across the border.

Suhail Qasim Mir, senior superintendent of police, Amritsar (Rural), informed that the recovered heroin was packed in 103 packets and was part of an organised cross-border drug trafficking network.


Two smugglers involved in the smuggling racket were also arrested. They were identified as Gurjeet Singh alias Jeet and Ranjeet Singh alias Dhillon, both residents of Talwandi Rai Dadu village under police station Ajnala, said the SSP.

Acting on specific and credible intelligence inputs, a police team intercepted the suspects, who were travelling on a motorcycle with a bag placed between them. "Upon searching the bag, police recovered 103 packets of heroin, weighing a total of 51.5 kg," said Mir.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were in active contact with a Pakistan-based smuggler, indicating clear cross-border linkages. A detailed examination of their mobile phones uncovered multiple locations, communication trails, and other incriminating digital evidence, the SSP added.

An FIR has been registered at police station Gharinda under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Further investigations are underway to trace the smuggling network and identify other associates, he said.

Sources claimed that following Operation Sindoor, cross-border smuggling activities had increased manifold, with repeated recoveries of large quantities of narcotics pointing to renewed attempts by traffickers to exploit border vulnerabilities.

Meanwhile, in the wake of successive heroin recoveries in Amritsar and growing concerns over gangster activity, Gaurav Yadav, director general of police, Punjab, held a critical review meeting on action against gangsters in Batala.

The DGP reviewed the security situation with officers from the commissionerate police, Amritsar; Border Range; and Ferozepur Range, including Amritsar (Rural), Batala, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, and Tarn Taran districts.

Detailed discussions focused on dismantling cross-border terror-crime nexuses, enforcing zero tolerance against extortion and organised crime, and strengthening operational preparedness across border districts.

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