Ferozepur, November 26: Punjab Police on Wednesday arrested a major financier connected to a cross-border drug syndicate, recovering ₹20.55 lakh in cash days after a 50kg heroin seizure near the border.
AIG ANTF Ferozepur Range Gurinderbir Singh Sidhu said the breakthrough followed forensic analysis of a phone belonging to accused Sandeep Singh, alias Seepa. “The device showed regular communication with a Pakistani smuggler. It opened up the financial trail that supported the heroin consignment,” he said.
The ANTF’s technical wing and Ferozepur Range officers tracked the money movement to Shriyansh, a Ludhiana-based hawala operator who hails from Bikaner, Rajasthan. Police said he had been following encrypted instructions sent by a Pakistani handler to launder drug proceeds.
Acting on the input, an ANTF team detained him and seized ₹20.55 lakh, believed to be part of the syndicate’s operating funds. Sidhu said the arrest “strikes at the financial core of the cartel,” adding, “Cutting the money flow is crucial if we want to stop these networks from regrouping.”
He said the accused has been booked under Sections 27-A and 29 of the NDPS Act, which deal with financing, harbouring and conspiracy linked to drug trafficking. “Invoking Section 27-A reflects our focus on the financial chain, not just the couriers,” Sidhu noted.
Police are now tracking the wider narco-hawala channels connected to the case, including collaborators in India and links across the border. Officials said more arrests could follow as the investigation uncovers the syndicate’s encrypted digital operations.
