Task force seizes heroin in Ludhiana, gangster link exposed.

Ludhiana: The city unit of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) has dismantled two separate drug trafficking operations, arresting three peddlers and seizing 1.4 kilograms of heroin. The investigation has uncovered a direct link between the local narcotics trade and an overseas-based gangster.In a significant breakthrough, authorities revealed that one of the suspects was operating under the instruction of Sonu Khatari, a notorious gangster originally from Nawanshahr who is currently believed to be hiding abroad. The second of the two raids led to the arrest of Gurnek Singh in Balachor, Nawanshahr, where 700 grams of heroin were recovered.
According to DSP-ANTF Ajay Kumar, Gurnek was using Snapchat to communicate with Sonu Khatari to coordinate drug shipments. "The probe revealed that Gurnek was in touch with Sonu Khatari... the recovered heroin was procured with his help," Kumar said. Gurnek is a repeat offender, currently out on bail with two prior NDPS Act cases and five assault charges already on his record.In a separate operation based on a tip-off, ANTF teams intercepted two residents of Bheelan village in Kapurthala. The suspects are Maninder Singh, identified as a man in Nihang robes, and his accomplice Sandeep Singh. Officers seized 753 g heroin during a search of the duo. While Maninder has no prior criminal history, Sandeep Singh was already wanted in connection with a previous Arms Act case.Intensified CrackdownAIG-ANTF Vatsala Gupta confirmed that two separate FIRs have been lodged following the seizures. The arrests mark a strategic victory for the task force as they attempt to sever the logistics chain between street-level peddlers and international handlers. Authorities are now focusing on the digital trail left by the Snapchat communications to identify further associates of the Khatari gang operating within the Punjab region.