Chandigarh, Aug 2 (IANS) As part of its crackdown against drugs, Punjab Police have busted another Pakistan-backed cross-border drugs and weapons smuggling racket, with the arrest of two smugglers and another BSF constable, posted along the Pakistan border in Tarn Taran district.
The Police are working to get the kingpin, Satnam Singh, alias Satta, extradited from Muscat, Oman, where he had fled after he was declared proclaimed offender in two smuggling cases, Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said on Sunday.
He used a fake Passport and Aadhaar card issued in the name of Gurmeet Singh to escape, he said, adding that the accused had five cases of smuggling registered against him earlier.
Satta’s ill-gotten property, which he had purchased using drug money in the name of his family relative Maninder Kaur in Amritsar, has been frozen, he added.
Jalandhar Rural Police, which unearthed the racket, had recovered a .30 Bore Pistol (made in China) along with five rounds and Rs 24.50 lakh as drug money from the three accused — Surmail Singh, Gurjant Singh and BSF constable Rajendra Prashad of Rajasthan, said the DGP.
Acting on a tip-off, the Jalandhar Rural Police on July 26 apprehended two smugglers, who were coming in a car from Delhi.
On questioning, the duo identified themselves as Surmail Singh and Gurjant Singh.
Surmail’s further questioning led to the recovery of the arm and ammunitions and 35 gm of heroin.
During further investigations, both the accused revealed they were working with a cross-border smuggler Satnam Singh in Taran Tarn district, who was closely linked with Pakistan-based smugglers for smuggling of heroin and weapons from Pakistan.
They also disclosed that BSF constable Rajendra Prashad was also part of the smuggling racket.
The BSF constable was posted at a border outpost at Chhina village in Tarn Taran.
The DGP said he contacted his counterparts in the BSF and took the support of central agencies as well, for ensuring the arrest of the said BSF constable, who was apprehended by Punjab Police on July 28 from his residence in Rawala Mandi, where he was availing his leave.
–IANS
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