15 Kg heroin, money recovered from juvenile in Amritsar; Pak-based handler suspected

Chandigarh/Amritsar [India] February 9: Punjab Police foiled a smuggling bid and seized 15 kgs of contraband (heroin) valued at Rs 8.40 lakh along with the arrest of a drug smuggler in Amritsar, an official statement said on Thursday, adding that multiple teams have been formed to nab the mastermind who managed to flee from the spot.
According to an official, preliminary investigations revealed that the drug consignment was airdropped by Pakistan based drug-smugglers using a drone.
"The arrested drug smuggler was en route to deliver drug consignment after retrieving it from the border area," Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab Gaurav Yadav said.
"A juvenile was arrested. Fifteen packets of heroin, weighing 15 kg, and drug money of Rs 8.40 lakh were recovered from his possession, DGP Yadav added.
"The 17-year-old arrested drug smuggler is a resident of Amritsar. Apart from recovering heroin and drug money, the Police have also recovered a Hero Deluxe Motorcycle, on which he was traveling," the statement informed.
The development came about 10 days after Punjab Police had busted a trans-border drug smuggling cartel with the arrest of a drug smuggler after recovering five packets of heroin, weighing 5Kg, and Rs 12.15 lakh drug money from his possession during a special checking at village Thattha in Lopoke, Amritsar.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that following reliable human inputs, Police teams of Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar conducted a naka on Ram Tirath Road Amritsar and successfully arrested the juvenile, who along with his accomplice identified as Resham Singh of village Khasa in Amritsar was going to deliver the drug consignment after retrieving it from the area of village Kakkar. "Preliminary investigations revealed that the consignment of drugs was airdropped by Pakistan-based smugglers using a drone," he said.
He said that drug smuggler Resham Singh, who prima-facie seems to be the mastermind of the trans-border narcotics smuggling racket, managed to flee from the spot. "Police teams are on a manhunt to nab him," he added.
AIG CI Amritsar Amarjit Singh Bajwa said that the father and grandfather of the arrested juvenile are already undergoing imprisonment under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, (NDPS).
"Further investigations are on to find out who sent the consignment from across the border and to whom accused persons were going to deliver," he added.
Meanwhile, a case FIR no. 6 has been registered under sections 21, 25, and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station SSOC Amritsar, official added.