Punjab Police busts drug smuggling racket, two arrested, hi-tech drone seized

Police said that the drug smuggling racket used a hi-tech US-made drone to smuggle contraband across the border and then supply it to Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh.

Chandigarh: Punjab Police has busted a major drug smuggling racket and arrested two persons who smuggled drugs using a hi-tech US-made drone. The announcement was made by the Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav on Sunday. He said that 10 kg of heroin have along with the drone have been seized from the accused.

Yadav also said that the two accused-identified as Dalbir and Jagdish- are both residents of Gharinda in Amritsar. He said that the two have been involved in drug smuggling for the last three years adding that there is no past cases registered against them.

The DGP further revealed that the operation to bust the racket was conducted by the Amritsar Rural Police upon receiving intelligence inputs adding that contraband were being supplied by the racket to contraband to Haryana, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh after getting them from across the border using drones.

As for the hi-tech drone seized from the two accused, the DGP said that it is a DJI series drone worth Rs 20 lakh which features long-lasting battery backup and an infrared-based night vision camera.

"In a major breakthrough against trans-border narcotic smuggling networks, @AmritsarRPolice has arrested 2 drug cartel kingpins who have been engaged in drug trafficking for the last 3 years & has recovered 10 Kgs of #Heroin & a drone in the intelligence-based operation," tweeted the DGP.

"We have identified an elaborate drug smuggling & distribution network. @PunjabPoliceInd is committed to make our state drug-free as per the vision of CM @BhagwantMann #ActionAgainstDrugs," he stated in another tweet.

Elaborating further, Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar Rural Police, Swapan Sharma that both the accused had set up an elaborate network for drug smuggling in the neighboring states adding that it has been identified by investigators.

Sharma also said that police teams are conducting raids at 12 locations in Haryana and Delhi and more seizures of drugs will follow. Official sources said that the Amritsar Rural Police have seized 39 kg of heroin in the last five months.