Chandigarh, Jan 27 : In a major breakthrough, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police (CP) have busted a cross-border narco-arms smuggling module with the arrest of four operatives and recovered 1.5 kg heroin and Rs 1.98 lakh drug money from their possession, Punjab's Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday.

Those arrested have been identified as Jaskinder Singh, alias Sikander, Harpal Singh, Gurmukh Singh and Sukhdeep Singh, all residents of Ranian village in Amritsar.

Apart from recovering heroin and drug money, police teams have also recovered two sophisticated pistols -- a 9MM pistol and a .30 bore pistol, along with 34 cartridges, manufactured in the Pakistan Ordnance Factory (POF), from their possession.

DGP Yadav said preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused, in connivance with foreign-based handlers, are in contact with Pakistan-based smugglers through social media platforms.

Acting on their directions, the accused were retrieving consignments of illegal arms and heroin being transported via drones from across the border, and further supplying them to various locations in Punjab.

Sharing operational details, Amritsar's Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that, acting on specific information, police carried out an operation and arrested four accused.

On the disclosure of accused Gurmukh Singh and Sukhdeep Singh, police have recovered two pistols, while a consignment of 1.5 kg heroin was recovered on the disclosure of accused Jaskinder Singh and Harpal Singh.

Bhullar said further investigation has revealed that all the accused were closely related to each other and belonged to an extended family. Whereas accused Harpal Singh and Gurmukh Singh are brothers, Jaskinder Singh and Sukhdeep Singh are their nephews, he said, adding it was also found that all four accused fall within the age group of 19 to 33 years and have no previous criminal antecedents.

/IANS