Amritsar (Punjab) [India], October 10 (ANI): Punjab's Amritsar Rural Police on Saturday busted two drug smuggling modules operating from across the border, resulting in the arrest of four individuals and the seizure of 15 kg of opium alongside illegal arms.

The targeted operation was launched against networks involved in cross-border drug trafficking and the supply of illegal weapons. During the overall operation, police recovered 15 kg of opium, a US-made M16 assault rifle, 9 modern pistols, and live ammunition, leading to the arrest of four accused.

Inspector General of Police (IG) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar of the Amritsar Border Range mentioned that the action was carried out based on intelligence inputs under the leadership of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal.

During the operation, the police arrested two individuals, Malkit Singh and Gurjit Singh. During the operation, police recovered 15 kg of opium, packed in 15 individual packets, and a US-made M16 assault rifle from their possession. 

Police stated that the accused own land situated near the India-Pakistan international border. Investigations are currently underway to probe the broader connections linked to their smuggling network.

IG Bhullar noted that the police achieved this major success as part of the campaign launched by the Punjab Chief Minister against drugs and gangsters. He highlighted that while cross-border smuggling cases in the region usually involve heroin, a large quantity of opium was seized in this specific instance.

In a separate operation, the police's special cell recovered 9 modern pistols and live ammunition. Investigators are probing the source of these weapons and tracking the roles of other individuals linked to the supply network.

Providing details on the smuggling modus operandi, IG Bhullar stated that narcotics and contraband consignments were sent from across the border via aerial drops. The consignments were placed at secluded locations, and GPS coordinates were subsequently shared with local operatives for further distribution.

This method allowed members within the smuggling network to execute transactions without coming into direct contact with one another.

Police are currently interrogating the arrested individuals to gather information regarding other network members, the actual source of the weapons, and subsequent links in the supply chain. Simultaneously, legal proceedings have been initiated to confiscate illegal assets allegedly amassed through drug smuggling. (ANI)