Jalandhar: The Jalandhar commissionerate police achieved their largest drug seizure to date on Monday, confiscating 48kg of heroin and apprehending three family members connected to an international syndicate. Additionally, authorities seized Rs.21 lakh in drug proceeds, a cash-counting device, and three luxury vehicles from the suspects.
According to State Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, the syndicate’s operations extend to Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey, Pakistan, and Canada, as well as a domestic presence in Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, and Punjab. “The 48-kg heroin seized by the Jalandhar commissionerate police was trafficked via the Gujarat sea route and J&K land route. Navpreet Singh, based in Turkey but originally from Beas in Amritsar, is the key figure in this drug syndicate,” stated the DGP. Yadav added that Navpreet was also implicated in the 350-kg heroin seizure by Delhi Police in 2021. “Investigations are ongoing to uncover the gang’s connections both forward and backward,” he noted. “Efforts are underway to apprehend the mastermind, Navpreet Singh. We anticipate further heroin recoveries in the days ahead. This marks the largest drug confiscation ever by the Jalandhar commissionerate police,” remarked Jalandhar Commissioner of Police Swapan Sharma.
Contraband was intended to be smuggled into Canada. The trio apprehended were identified as Satnam Singh from Dhandiyan village in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, along with his daughter Aman Rozi and son-in-law Hardeep Singh. Acting on a tip-off, the police conducted checks in Jalandhar, where a Toyota Innova (registration number PB08-DS-2958) was intercepted near the Y-point at Bhagat Singh Colony bypass. “The driver, Satnam Singh, attempted to flee but was apprehended by the police. A search of the vehicle revealed 8kg of heroin concealed in a bag,” Sharma explained.
Having established smuggling connections while incarcerated, Satnam Singh was involved in a drug-related case in 2017, leading to his interaction with a larger drug network during his time in Hoshiarpur jail. “After being granted bail, he established ties with prominent drug kingpins, initiating large-scale heroin transactions. Another son of Satnam Singh, Manjit Singh, was apprehended with 5kg of heroin by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in 2023. Despite this setback, Satnam enlisted the help of his daughter Aman Rozi and son-in-law Hardeep Singh to distribute heroin across various districts of Punjab. They utilized multiple vehicles for drug transportation over the past eighteen months,” Sharma elaborated. Satnam’s daughter meticulously maintained financial records of these transactions.
