19 kg heroin seized in Punjab, BSF trooper held

Busting a drugs racket involving smugglers from India and Pakistan, police Tuesday recovered 19 kg heroin and arrested four people, including a BSF trooper, from Punjab's border Tarn Taran district.

Following the interrogation of three arrested smugglers, police also arrested a Border Security Force (BSF) trooper who used to help the smugglers in the drugs racket.

The heroin recovered is worth about Rs.95 crore in the international market, police officials said.

Tarn Taran police chief Rajjit Singh said Tuesday that that the drugs haul was made in a joint operation by the district police and the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC).

Three people, Rachpal Singh, Gurwinder Singh and Gurpreet Singh, all belonging to Tarn Taran district, 280 km from here, were arrested, he said.

Rachpal Singh was the kingpin of the drugs racket on the Indian side and was in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers, the police chief said, adding the heroin stock was recovered from Sarhali village.

He said that BSF constable Gurpreet Singh was nabbed after a trap was laid following information provided by the arrested smugglers.