This story is from August 3, 2020

BSF constable among 3 arrested in cross-border drugs, weapons racket

Punjab police have busted a Pakistan-backed cross- border drugs and weapon smuggling racket with the arrest of two smugglers and a BSF constable posted along the Indo-Pak border in Tarn Taran district.
BSF constable among 3 arrested in cross-border drugs, weapons racket
Representative image
CHANDIGARH: Punjab police have busted a Pakistan-backed cross- border drugs and weapon smuggling racket with the arrest of two smugglers and a BSF constable posted along the Indo-Pak border in Tarn Taran district.
DGP Dinkar Gupta said they are trying to get the kingpin, Satnam Singh alias Satta, extradited from Muscat in Oman. Satta fled to Muscat after being declared proclaimed offender in two smuggling cases.
He used a fake passport and Aadhar card issued in the name of Gurmeet Singh to escape.
Earlier, Satta was involved in five cases of smuggling. Gupta said Satta’s property purchased in the name of his relative Maninder Kaur at Sandhu Colony in Amritsar has been frozen.
Jalandhar rural police recovered a .30 bore pistol (made in China) along with five live rounds and Rs 24.50 lakh as drug money from the three arrested accused, Surmail Singh, Gurjant Singh and BSF constable Rajendra Prashad. The BSF constable is a native of Rawala Mandi in Ganganagar, Rajasthan.
Acting on a tip-off, Jalandhar rural police, on July 26, apprehended two smugglers, Surmail and Gurjant, who had come from Delhi by car. Police recovered 25 grams of narcotics from them. Later, a .30 bore pistol, five live rounds of ammunition and 35 gms of heroin was also recovered.
Further investigations revealed that both accused were working with Satta, a resident of Naarli village in Taran Tarn district and close aide of Pakistan-based heroin and weapons smugglers. They revealed that BSF constable Prashad was also part of the smuggling racket. Prashad was posted at a border outpost at village Chhina in Taran Tarn district. He was apprehended on July 28 from his residence in Rawala Mandi, where he was availing his leave.

During investigation, Prashad said he was recruited into the drug smuggling racket by Satta, who promised him money in lieu of his help in smuggling of arms and narcotics consignments through his border post. Prashad then helped the gang get 17 kg heroin and two foreign-made pistols in May.
This time, Satta, in connivance with Prashad, Surmail and Gurjant was to bring another consignment of heroin and arms from his Pakistan-based handlers. Satta had given Prashad Rs 5 lakh and a mobile phone in advance for receipt of the consignment. Gupta said out of the Rs 24.5 lakh, Rs 15 lakh was recovered from the residence of Satnam, Rs 5 lakh from the BSF constable and Rs 4.5 lakh from Gurjant.
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