Arrests, seizures and alleged drone link near international border
Punjab Police on Tuesday arrested three people from Amritsar Rural and seized narcotics and sophisticated weapons in an operation that exposed a suspected cross-border supply chain, officials said. The recovered consignment included more than 10 kg of heroin and two assault rifles, police added.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the trio were part of an illegal network believed to be sourcing drugs and firearms from contacts abroad for distribution within the border district. Authorities said the accused had used an unusual landing site — a leased guava orchard near Modhe village — to retrieve consignments dropped by unmanned aerial vehicles.
Police described the arrangement as a "unique" modus operandi, using the orchard as a landing and retrieval point for drone-dropped consignments.
Those arrested have been identified as Sandeep Singh (32), his wife Kamaljit Kaur (31) and her brother Bikramjit Singh (23), all residents of Amritsar Rural, officials said. Senior Superintendent of Police Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal said Sandeep and Kamaljit allegedly coordinated and managed the operations, while Bikramjit acted as a courier responsible for recovering and transporting the goods.
Operational details and items recovered
According to the police, the case came to light after specific intelligence prompted teams from Police Station Gharinda to mount a targeted operation. On the spot, officers recovered the drugs, the rifles and ammunition. Border Range IGP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar provided details of the raid and the recovery.
- Location used: One-acre leased guava orchard at Modhe village, about 500 metres from the India–Pakistan border.
- Mode alleged: Parcels reportedly dropped via drones across the international border.
- Accused profiles: Sandeep Singh has prior criminal records, including cases under the Arms Act and the NDPS Act.
| Item | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Heroin | 10.030 kg |
| Assault rifles | 2 (AK-47 and AK-56) |
| Magazines | 3 |
| Live cartridges | 10 |
Implications for border security and investigations under way
Officials said preliminary inquiries point to linkages with foreign-based smugglers who are believed to have been supplying consignments for distribution inside Punjab. The proximity of the orchard to the international boundary, roughly 500 metres, raised concerns about the exploitation of remote farmland for illicit retrievals.
Investigators are working to establish the complete network — its upstream suppliers and downstream distributors — and to identify any additional local collaborators. Police said Sandeep Singh was a history-sheeter with previous cases registered under the Arms Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
Authorities have not disclosed the precise timeline of the seizures beyond the operation on Tuesday, and said further details would be released as the probe progresses. Senior officers emphasised the need to map the chain of custody for the contraband and to trace financial and communication links with handlers abroad.
Local impact and law-enforcement response
The case underscores continuing challenges for Punjab’s border districts, where criminal groups have exploited porous areas and rural properties for smuggling. Use of drones to drop consignments across the frontier is an emerging threat that complicates conventional patrolling and surveillance, police noted.
Senior police officials said they will intensify surveillance in vulnerable tracts and increase liaison with border security formations to deny routes for aerial drops. They also indicated cooperation with central agencies is likely to map transnational links.
The arrested trio have been taken into custody and face charges under applicable sections of the Arms Act and the NDPS Act. Further legal proceedings will follow as investigators complete seizure formalities and file the required documentation in court.
This operation is the latest in a series of crackdowns in Punjab targeting narcotics and weapons networks. Investigators said they will continue to pursue leads to dismantle the wider network implicated in this case.
