DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Police on Wednesday claimed to have busted a drug cartel with the arrest of eight people including an inspector of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said 4.04 kg of heroin was recovered from the possession of the accused.

He said initially, police arrested two persons -- Manjit of Haryana's Rohtak, who is currently posted as inspector in the anti-smuggling agency DRI, and Ravi Kumar of Gandhi Nagar in Ferozepur.

Speaking to reporters in Amritsar, Bhullar said Manjit was allegedly misusing his position to facilitate the drug network in connivance with Ravi. The duo were sourcing consignments from across the border, with Ravi being directly in contact with the foreign-based smugglers, he said.

Further investigation, the officer said, led to the arrest of six more accused -- Palwinder Singh alias Tindu, Rohit Sharma alias Rohit, Abhishek Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Amit Kumar alias Sonu and Satnam Singh, all from Amritsar -- involved in drug smuggling and hawala financing.

Bhullar said the probe revealed that Amit was operating a cross-border hawala network to facilitate the drug trade in the area. Multiple FIRs under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act have been registered at Chheharta and Ranjit Avenue police stations, the commissioner said.

The initial probe indicates wider involvement and efforts are on to trace and dismantle the entire network, he said.

(editor@dailyworld.in)