DHAKA: Officers of the BSF and the Counter Intelligence wing of the Punjab Police with the seized heroin and arms in Khemkaran, Tarn Taran, on Saturday.
On a tip-off, the counter intelligence wing of the Punjab Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) today foiled Pakistani men’s bid to smuggle around 21 packets of heroin worth Rs 105 crore into India. The drugs were seized from the Gajjal border outpost in the Khemkaran area. A China-made pistol, five live cartridges, a magazine and four empty shells of .12 bore rifle were also seized from the spot.
Anil Paliwal, BSF IG, Punjab Frontier, said the BSF soldiers of 191 Battalion noticed some suspicious movement of Pakistani smugglers across the fence. When the soldiers challenged them, the smugglers opened fire. The soldiers then retaliated and forced the smugglers to retreat into the dense fog.
Paliwal said the smugglers left the contraband behind. He said during the search operation, the BSF and the police wing found 21 packets of heroin and the weapons. The team also found four empty shells of .12-bore rifles that were made in Pakistan.
Gurinder Pal Nagra of the counter intelligence wing claimed Pakistani smugglers Kaalu of Shehdra and Nasir Khan Pathan of Lahore were trying to smuggle the drugs into India.
He said the consignment was to be delivered to notorious Indian smuggler Bholu of Hawelian village. Bholu was arrested by the state Special Operation Cell in 2010, but he escaped from the police custody a few years ago.
The BSF handed over the drugs to the Punjab Police wing, which registered a case against Bholu and several unidentified persons. Nagra said further investigations were on.
