Bathinda, July 8: Bathinda Police arrested six individuals and seized 40 kilograms of heroin during a high-stakes interception operation on Tuesday. The heroin was recovered from a Toyota Fortuner (Punjab-53E-6771) following specific intelligence input, officials said.
Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav confirmed that the consignment was part of a broader international drug racket, routed through handlers in Pakistan for distribution across Punjab. “This is a significant crackdown on narco-terrorism. Preliminary investigations point to cross-border links with handlers based in Pakistan,” he said.
The arrested accused have been identified as Lakhvir Singh alias Lakha (33), Prabhjot Singh (26), Ranjodh Singh (27), Akash Marwaha (21), Rohit Kumar (25), and Gurcharan Singh alias Guri (27)—all residents of Malout in Sri Muktsar Sahib district. Among them, Lakhvir has a past criminal record under the Arms Act, and Prabhjot has prior NDPS charges.
According to Bathinda Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amneet Kondal, the operation was conducted by CIA Staff-1 after receiving actionable intelligence. “The seizure confirms the deep-rooted nexus of local smugglers with Pakistan-based drug traffickers,” Kondal said. “We are actively investigating to unravel the complete network and identify other players in this supply chain.”
This bust comes days after Amritsar Police intercepted a separate consignment of over 60 kg heroin near Barmer, Rajasthan, reportedly linked to a Pakistani smuggler named Tanveer Shah and a Canada-based handler, Joban Kaler.
Police have registered a case under Section 21C of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Kotwali Police Station in Bathinda.
Officials added that further arrests are likely as investigators follow leads related to international operatives and domestic facilitators.
