DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Police on Saturday said it has busted a narcotics and organised crime nexus backed by USA-based smuggler Sarwan Singh alias Bhola Havelian and arrested its three operatives from Amritsar's Ajnala.

Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav said the nexus was busted in a close coordination with the central agencies.

Those arrested have been identified as Karanjit Singh of Khalra in Tarn Taran, Akash Seth alias Raghu and Sukhdeep Singh, both residents of Raja Sansi in Amritsar. Police also recovered six pistols along with six live cartridges and 10 magazines, 200 grams of heroin and an electronic weighing machine from their possession.

Notably, Bhola Havelian, who is carrying Rs 2 lakh reward on his arrest, is a brother of infamous drug smuggler Ranjeet alias Cheeta and is wanted in a 532-kg heroin haul case, in which the latter was arrested in May 2020.

Cheeta was the mastermind behind the smuggling of 532 packets of heroin which were seized by Customs department at ICP Attari in July 2019 and is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency. DGP Yadav said following inputs that associates of alias Bhola have retrieved the weapon consignment and they are going to deliver it to someone, police conducted a special checking in the jurisdiction of Ajnala, and arrested the trio. Later, police teams on the disclosure of Akash alias Raghu also recovered 200 grams heroin, six live cartridges and electronic weighing machine from the location pinpointed by him, he added.
(editor@dailyworld.in)