Major seizures in city and rural belts as probe widens into drone drops and foreign handlers
Amritsar city and rural police teams have arrested 17 people and dismantled eight criminal networks involved in drug peddling and illegal arms supply, officials said on Thursday. The multi-pronged operation yielded a large cache of narcotics, firearms and cash, and has prompted investigators to probe suspected links with handlers abroad and the alleged use of drones to deliver consignments.
Police officials said the action covered three cases handled by the Commissionerate and five cases registered with rural stations. The seizures included a substantial quantity of heroin and methamphetamine, 15 illegal pistols, several live cartridges and nearly ₹12.95 lakh thought to be drug proceeds. Officers described the operation as coordinated follow-up of intelligence-driven leads across Cantt, Chheharta and several rural police stations.
- Arrests: 17 persons in eight separate network-related cases.
- Narcotics seized: over 10 kg heroin and 1.476 kg ICE (methamphetamine).
- Weapons seized: 15 pistols and multiple live cartridges.
According to police, the Commissionerate police made arrests in three cases while the rural police effected arrests in five cases registered at Ramdas, Tarsikka, Jandiala and Gharinda stations. Investigators said some of the accused had criminal histories and were allegedly in contact with handlers based abroad.
| Category | Quantity / Details |
|---|---|
| Heroin | 8.536 kg (Commissionerate cases) + 1.5 kg (rural cases) |
| ICE (methamphetamine) | 1.476 kg |
| Pistols | 15 illegal pistols (three foreign-made; four country-made .30-bore among them) |
| Cartridges | Seven live cartridges (four seized in commissionerate cases; others in rural cases) |
| Cash | ₹12.95 lakh |
Police said the Commissionerate arrested nine persons in three cases and seized eight pistols, 8.536 kg of heroin, ₹12.95 lakh, four live cartridges and a motorcycle. In a Cantonment-station case, four accused identified as Darshan Singh alias Channa, Satnam Singh, Mahabir Singh and Lovepreet Singh were arrested and six pistols recovered. Officers said three of those arrested allegedly maintained contacts with Pakistan-based smugglers who reportedly used drones for arms delivery.
“Investigations will focus on the role of foreign handlers and the networks used to smuggle drugs and arms into the state,” police said.
In two separate Commissionerate cases filed through Chheharta police, five accused — Harman Singh, Narinder Singh, Karan Singh, Gurjant Singh alias Khudha and Gurpreet Singh — were arrested and items recovered included 8.536 kg heroin, two pistols, four live cartridges and the cash amount. Police indicated these persons were allegedly linked to a foreign handler who coordinated drone drops of heroin and weapons.
Meanwhile, Amritsar (Rural) police arrested eight people in five cases at Ramdas, Tarsikka, Jandiala and Gharinda stations. Seizures in the rural probes comprised seven pistols, three live cartridges, 1.5 kg heroin and 1.476 kg ICE. Named in rural FIRs were Sikander Singh, Avinash Kumar, Ajub Singh, another Sikander Singh, Navjot Singh, Karandeep Singh, Mangaldeep Singh and Arjan Singh.
Local residents said the scale of weapons and drugs recovered has heightened concerns over the sophistication of trafficking methods. Farmers and small-business owners in peri-urban pockets of Amritsar stressed the need for sustained patrolling and intelligence-sharing between city and rural units to prevent recurrence.
Law-enforcement officials noted that the alleged use of drones and cross-border handlers, if established, would represent an escalation in smuggling techniques. Punjab has faced cross-border trafficking challenges in recent years; investigators said they will coordinate with other agencies and continue forensic and digital probes to trace the supply chain and any foreign linkages.
Cases are under further investigation, with police likely to seek custody remands and pursue follow-up raids as evidence emerges from seized digital devices and recovered material.
