punjab

Updated: Aug 02, 2019 12:00 IST

Police have unearthed a new modus operandi of smuggling heroin from Pakistan into India, in which Indian truck drivers are involved. The smuggling happens through the Integrated Check-Post (ICP) Attari, with the contraband concealed in the ‘jutti’ (footwear) that is hung on the trucks, police have said. The trucks enter India after exporting goods to the Wagah border on the Pakistan side.

Two men have been arrested, the first on July 30, when 20 gm heroin and a mobile was recovered, and the second on Thursday. Hawala route was used for transfer of money. A Pakistani, identified as Javed, along with another accomplice in that country, are the key suspects.

The smuggling came to light after police arrested Jatinder Singh, 35, aka Mann of Dhanoa Kalan village, 36km from district headquarters on July 30. “On a tip-off, Jatinder was arrested from Guru Ki Wadali area in Amritsar on July 30. During interrogation, Jatinder told us that he was in contact with some Pakistani smugglers. He had recently received 50gm heroin smuggled by a Pakistani through a truck driver using the ICP,” said DCP (investigation) Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar.

“There must be many truck drivers involved as Jatinder has confessed that he had been getting heroin twice a week for the past two months. The driver changed each time. Jatinder used to give the drug money after selling the drug (between Rs 35 lakh and Rs 40 lakh) in a week to Sunny, another of his accomplices from Dyalrajputan village in Tarn Taran. Sunny, who is absconding, had been sending money to Javed using the hawala route,” Bhullar added.

In the second arrest made on Thursday, police arrested Prabhjit Singh of Sarhali village in Tarn Taran. Jatinder used to supply heroin to Prabhjit. “We laid a trap and arrested Prabhjit, recovering 25gm heroin from his possession on Thursday,” Bhullar added. Also, Paramjit Singh of Amritsar and Raobarinder Singh, aka Raja, of Patti are suspects.

A police official part of the probe said, “From Jatinder’s mobile phone, we came to know that he was in contact with Javed. Jatinder used to send a picture of the Rs 10 note to Javed, who used to tell the number of the note to truck drivers. Javed then used to inform Jatinder over WhatsApp about the location from where the truck driver would deliver him the heroin by showing the same Rs 10 note.”

The ICP has been in news over the past month, after the customs department seized 532kg heroin and 52kg of mixed narcotics valuing over Rs 2,700 crore concealed in a consignment of rock salt imported from Pakistan.