In a significant joint operation, security forces in Punjab have successfully dismantled an international drug smuggling network operating from Pakistan. The State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) based in Fazilka, collaborating with the Border Security Force (BSF), apprehended a key smuggler and confiscated a large consignment of narcotics.
Joint Operation Nets Smuggler and Contraband
Acting on specific intelligence, a covert team from the SSOC and the BSF launched a targeted operation in the border area of Jalalabad. The operation led to the arrest of Baljit Singh, a resident of Dhandi Qadim village in the Jalalabad sub-division of Fazilka district. During his apprehension, officials recovered 5.11 kilograms of high-grade heroin from his possession.
Pakistan-Based Network Using Drones
Preliminary investigations by the authorities have revealed a sophisticated cross-border modus operandi. The investigation indicates that the seized heroin consignment was sourced from Pakistan and was delivered into Indian territory using a drone operated by a smuggler based across the border. This method highlights the evolving tactics used by transnational crime syndicates to bypass traditional border security measures.
Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Gursewak Singh of SSOC, Fazilka, stated that the contraband was intended for further distribution across various regions of Punjab, potentially fueling the local drug trade. The successful interception has prevented a significant quantity of dangerous drugs from reaching the streets.
Legal Action and Ongoing Probe
Following the arrest and seizure, a formal case has been registered under the stringent Section 21-C of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the SSOC police station in Fazilka. The arrest of Baljit Singh is considered a major breakthrough, as it is expected to provide crucial leads to unravel the entire supply chain, from the Pakistani handlers to the local distributors within India.
This operation underscores the continued vigilance and coordinated efforts of Punjab's special operations cell and the BSF in combating the menace of cross-border narcotics smuggling, which poses a serious threat to national security and public health.
