In a significant blow to a major drug syndicate, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Chandigarh Zonal Unit, in a coordinated operation with the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of Punjab Police, has successfully detained alleged drug trafficker Sandeep Singh, popularly known as Chatha. The detention was carried out under the stringent Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act of 1988.
A Notorious Career in Narcotics
According to the NCB, Sandeep Singh Chatha, a resident of Rasulpur Rohi in Amritsar district, has been a persistent offender. His involvement in the drug trade first came to light during 2017-18, when he was arrested on two separate occasions by the Tarn Taran and Amritsar Police. Despite these arrests, he continued to expand his operations, which eventually included cross-border activities, scaling his illicit business to a significant level.
Officials stated that Chatha is implicated in seven criminal cases, including three under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, since 2013. His repeated run-ins with the law did little to deter his activities, prompting authorities to seek the most stringent preventive measures.
The 2022 Crackdown and Massive Haul
The case against Chatha reached a critical point in 2022 when the NCB Chandigarh Zonal Unit arrested him in connection with NCB Crime No. 79/2022. This operation marked a major breakthrough. During the raids, law enforcement agencies dismantled two illicit laboratories and seized a large cache of narcotics and materials.
The seized items included:
- 40 kg of heroin
- 0.557 kg of opium
- 23.645 kg of caffeine
- Various chemicals used in heroin processing
Furthermore, the operation led to the recovery of 31 live cartridges and 1 magazine, and the arrest of 22 members of the drug syndicate. Investigations revealed Chatha was a key operative managing high-volume heroin consignments across multiple states, including a specific instance where he was involved in transporting 120 kg of raw heroin from Ludhiana to Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.
Financial Investigation and Syndicate Links
The financial probe into Chatha's activities yielded substantial results. The NCB Chandigarz Zonal Unit froze movable and immovable assets worth a staggering Rs 58.6 crore in the same crime number. This included properties valued at Rs 34.77 lakh that were illegally acquired by Chatha.
The investigation also uncovered Chatha's deep-rooted nexus with other notorious criminals. He was found to be closely linked with Jagdeep Singh, aka Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, a known figure involved in supplying weapons and narcotics from Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab, Delhi, and Haryana. Interestingly, both Chatha and Bhagwanpuria had previously been arrested together in FIR No. 45/2017 by Tarn Taran Police for the seizure of 500 grams of heroin and had even spent time in the same prison.
Preventive Detention and Current Status
To ensure he could not continue his operations, the NCB Chandigarh Zonal Unit strongly pursued a proposal for his preventive detention under the PITNDPS Act in September 2025. Following this, the Central Government issued a formal Detention Order on 27 November 2025.
After exhaustive and coordinated efforts, Sandeep Singh Chatha was successfully detained and served with the detention order on 07 January 2026. He has been lodged in Burail Jail, Chandigarh. Chatha is the fourth member of this syndicate to be detained outside Punjab. Earlier, three of his associates—Akshay Chabra, Jaspal Goldy (both in Dibrugarh, Assam), and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria (in Silchar, Assam)—were also detained under the same act.
This detention represents a critical step by national and state agencies in their ongoing war against organized drug trafficking networks, aiming to incapacitate key players through preventive laws.
