ED arrests one accused involved in drug trafficking in Punjab's Tarn-Taran

New Delhi [India], July 4 : The Enforcement Directorate apprehended an individual in Punjab's Tarn-Tarn district for laundering money derived from drug trafficking. This arrest was made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
ED's Jalandhar based unit arrested Skattar Singh alias Laddi in continuation of its money laundering probe the agency had taken up on the basis of First Information Reports recorded by Punjab Police and Narcotics Control Bureau.
Earlier, a search action under the provisions of Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 was conducted at 10 premises located in villages Sheron and Nausheran Pannuan in Tehsil Nausheran Pannuan and village Bugha in Tehsil Tarn Taran on February 3 last year. In addition to incriminating documents, narcotic substance and arms were recovered during the search.
Investigation revealed that entire extended family of Skattar Singh has been involved in illicit drug sale since many years and multiple FIRs have been registered against his family members, said the ED in a statement.
"Many of the family members are already in custody in NDPS cases. Saktar Singh amassed huge number of immovable properties in his name and in the name of family members through proceeds of crime generated from dealing in drugs since many years in the district of Tarn-Tarn of Punjab," added the agency.
Earlier 3 drug smugglers were arrested with 5 kg of heroin from Ranike village in Amritsar, said Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.
It is the second consignment of 5 kg of heroin being recovered from Amritsar in a single day, while around 27.2 kg of heroin has been recovered from Amritsar in less than a week, he said.
Probe revealed that all the arrested accused persons were directly in touch with Pakistan-based drug smugglers, the DGP added.
Apart from recovering the drug consignment, police teams have also impounded a scooter.
The DGP Yadav said that the Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar has received reliable input that accused Rasal Singh, Jaskaran Singh and Amritpal Singh have retrieved a huge consignment of narcotics dropped using a drone at border village Dhanoe falls under the jurisdiction of Police Station Gharinda.
Acting swiftly on the inputs, he said that police teams from CI Amritsar laid a naka at Baghdhian Morh in village Ranike in Amritsar and apprehended the trio of accused persons along with 5 kg of heroin.
Those arrested have been identified as Rasal Singh of village Naushehra in Tarn Taran, Jaskaran Singh of Vanieke in Amritsar and Amritpal Singh of Sahura in Amritsar, the offcier said.
The DGP said that videography of the entire search and seizure process has been done in the presence of Gazetted Officer as per the provisions of the new criminal laws. Investigations are underway to establish backward and forward linkages in this case, he added.
In this regard, a case has been registered under sections 21, 25 and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at the Police Station State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar.