Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Chandigarh Police Operations Cell has busted an inter-state drug trafficking network and arrested four alleged drug smugglers, recovering 1.11 kg of heroin, commonly known as “chitta”, valued at around ₹2 crore, along with a pistol and five live cartridges.
According to police, the accused have been identified as Gurlal Singh alias Lal, Jaspreet Singh alias Jassi, Arshdeep Singh and Gursab alias Saba. The alleged main handler of the network, Hardeep Singh alias Deep, is currently absconding.
Police said Gurlal Singh had allegedly been involved in drug trafficking for around eight years and had been supplying heroin in Chandigarh for nearly three years. Investigators found that he allegedly supplied around 5 to 6 kg of heroin in Chandigarh every month, particularly in the Maloya and Sector 56 areas.
Gurlal, a 36-year-old resident of Nising in Karnal, was arrested from Karnal in Haryana. Police recovered 514 grams of heroin from his possession. Several cases under the NDPS Act and Arms Act are already registered against him at different places in Punjab.
The police also arrested Jaspreet Singh alias Jassi, a 30-year-old taxi driver from Barnala. He was arrested from Maloya and 284 grams of heroin was recovered from him. Police said he had no previous criminal record.
Arshdeep Singh, 24, a resident of Sherpuri Taiban village in Dharamkot, Moga, was arrested near Dharamkot along with Gursab. Police recovered 156 grams of heroin from Arshdeep. According to police records, an NDPS Act case was registered against him at Morinda police station in 2024. His father is a Punjab Police sub-inspector, and investigators are probing how he became connected to the network and what his exact role was.
Another accused, Gursab alias Saba, 24, allegedly worked as the right-hand man of the absconding main handler Hardeep Singh alias Deep. Police said he was involved in supplying both drugs and weapons. A total of 57 grams of heroin, a country-made pistol and five live cartridges were recovered from him. An NDPS case is also registered against him at Morinda police station.
Suspected Pakistan-border connection
During the investigation, police found that the network allegedly procured heroin through the Punjab border adjoining Pakistan and subsequently distributed it to different locations.
According to police, the alleged main handler, Hardeep Singh alias Deep, used to procure around 22 kg of heroin every month through the Pakistan border and then distribute it through members of his network.
Police also suspect that drones may have been used to smuggle drugs across the international border. Investigators are now probing this angle to establish the source and supply chain of the drugs.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of Chandigarh Police DIG Rajiv Ranjan and led by Inspector Harinder Singh Sekhon, who had received confidential information about the network.
