Pak-Linked Drug Lord Arrested! 15 Kg Heroin Snagged

Punjab Police delivered a major blow to cross-border drug trafficking on Monday, arresting a smuggler and seizing 15 kilograms of heroin in Tarn Taran district. The operation, led by intelligence from the Tarn Taran Police, uncovered ties to Pakistan and U.S.-based drug syndicates, spotlighting the intricate web fueling India’s narcotics trade.

The suspect, identified as Harshpreet Singh from Roranwala in Amritsar, was apprehended while retrieving the heroin consignment, believed to have been dropped via drones from Pakistan.

Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav hailed the bust as a “significant intelligence-led operation,” noting the accused’s role in shuttling drug proceeds through hawala channels under orders from foreign handlers. Preliminary probes link the haul to a U.S.-based smuggler, Gurnam Kallowal, coordinating with a Pakistan-based figure known as Pahalwan.

The seizure follows a pattern of drone-assisted smuggling along Punjab’s border, with the state’s police seizing over 1,220 kg of heroin since July 2022 under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s anti-drug campaign. Just a day prior, Tarn Taran Police nabbed two others with 6 kg of heroin, signaling a relentless crackdown.

The recovered 15 kg, concealed in a bag, was intercepted before it could reach local peddlers, disrupting a supply chain feeding Punjab’s drug crisis.

A case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been filed at Sadar police station, with investigations ongoing to trace backward and forward linkages. The arrest, coming amid heightened border vigilance, underscores Punjab’s role as a frontline battleground against narco-networks exploiting its proximity to Pakistan.

As police tighten the net, the operation reflects a broader push to dismantle syndicates leveraging drones and hawala—tactics honed by Pakistan-backed outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammad, whose shadow looms over recent regional busts.