A Special Task Force personnel displaying the heroin and chemicals recovered in Amritsar on Friday. Rana Simranjit Singh A Special Task Force personnel displaying the heroin and chemicals recovered in Amritsar on Friday. Rana Simranjit Singh

The Punjab Police seized nearly 200 kg heroin, claimed to be worth around Rs 2,000 crore, from a house in Sultanwind village of Amritsar district and arrested seven people, including a Afghan national and Subordinate Services Board member, a senior official Friday said.

Acting on a tip-off, a team of Special Task Force raided a house in Akash Avenue Thursday night and recovered the heroin along with other contraband, said ADGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu. In addition to 194.15 kg heroin, 38 kg dextromethorphan, 25 kg caffeine powder, probably used to cut and mix the heroin, and six drums of chemical composition weighing 207 kg were also recovered, he said.

Sidhu, who led the STF team, said an illegal lab was found set up inside the house where preparation, mixing and cutting of drugs was taking place. As per the police, the Afghan national, identified as Armaan Basharmal, a resident of Achin, Nangarhar, had come to India a week ago to dilute, refine and mix the high quality heroin.

The origin of the heroin and possible supply routes is still being identified, the ADGP said. Four others arrested from the house include Sukhwinder Singh, Major Singh and Kulwant Singh, all residents of Naushehra Khurd, and Tamanna Gupta.

Soon after the STF announced the drug bust in Amritsar, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh held a press conference and asserted that those involved in the case will not be spared. “We will not allow drug smugglers, narco-gangsters and narco-terrorists to spread their wings in the state,” he said.

Accompanied by state police chief, DGP Dinkar Gupta, Amarinder said that the house from which the police seized the contraband belonged to one Anwar Masih, who was a member of the Subordinate Services Board and appointed by the previous SAD-BJP government.

Asked about the value of the the contraband seized in Amritsar, the DGP said it was estimated to be around Rs 2,000 crore. Earlier in the day, Masih told media he had already signed a deal to sell the house. He claimed that the house was still in his possession and vacant. He was arrested in the evening. In June last year, the Customs department had recovered 532 kg heroin at the Wagah-Attari border.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App.