Punjab Police arrest man who swam into Pak jurisdiction to retrieve narcotics

Chandigarh, Aug 17 (IANS) Striking another blow to the narcotics smuggling networks, Punjab Police on Thursday arrested an alleged drugs smuggler who sawm to Pakistan to retrieve a consignment of narcotics and recovered 8 kg heroin from his possession, Director General of Police (DGP), Gaurav Yadav, said here.

"Joga Singh, an international drugs smuggler, swam into the Pakistan jurisdiction to retrieve a heroin consignment smuggled in from trans-border networks from Pakistan,” Yadav said.

The accused was wanted in multiple cases of NDPS Act, and his two accomplices have already been arrested by Amritsar Police from whose possession 14 kg heroin have been recovered.

The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, had busted a cross-border drugs smuggling racket with the arrest of a drugs smuggler identified as Shinder Singh after recovering a consignment of 10 kg heroin and Rs 1.5 lakhs from his possession, while a woman drugs smuggler, Amandeep Kaur, alias Deep Bhai, linked to this module was also arrested with 1 kg heroin.

After recovering 8 kg heroin from Joga Singh, the total recovery of heroin from this module reached 22 kg.

Yadav said there were inputs that Shinder Singh and his accomplices had procured a big consignment of heroin pushed into the Indian territory by Pak-based smugglers and agencies using the riverine route in the Ferozepur sector.

Sharing more details, SSP Jalandhar (Rural), Mukhwinder Bhullar, said that following an input that Joga Singh, who was in possession of a heroin consignment, was on the way to deliver it to someone, a team from the Goraya police station set up a special naka near Dhuleta village.

The police managed to arrest Joga Singh when he was travelling on his motorcycle after recovering 8 kg heroin concealed in a bag from his possession, he added.