CHANDIGARH/JALANDHAR/GORYA
The ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann got a major through after Punjab Police recovered an additional chunk of 12kg heroin from the two locations (6kg each) pinpointed by the arrested big fish drug trafficker Malkiat Singh alias Kali at his village Tendi Wala in Ferozepur, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Saturday.
He said that the development came two days after Jalandhar Rural Police arrested drug trafficker Malkiat Kali after recovering 9kg of heroin from his possession, taking the total heroin recovery to 21 kg in just 48 hours.
This recovery is yet another tranche of the 50kg heroin consignment, which was fetched by three swimmers from Pakistan on the directions of drug smuggler Malkiat Kali. Police teams have effectively recovered 43.5kg heroin after arresting at least five drug smugglers including one swimmer identified as Joga Singh, while, the search is on to nab the remaining two swimmers— identified as Gurdeep Singh alias Rangi and Gurwinder Singh alias Mashtangi, both resident of village Tendi Wala, Ferozepur.
Sharing more details, SSP Jalandhar Rural Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar said that during questioning, accused Malkiat Kali revealed that as per the deal— Rs 1 crore (Rs 2 lakh per kg) was to be paid to the hired swimmers, while, the payment of Rs 5 crores (Rs 10 lakh per kg) was to be sent to the Pak-based Smuggler identified as Haider Ali via Hawala transaction, after the consignment is sold.
He said that the probe revealed that the remaining portion of about 6.5 kg heroin is with the accused Rangi and Mashtangi, and Police teams are on a manhunt to nab both the absconding drug smugglers.