ARRESTED ACCUSED WERE USING ENCRYPTED COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS TO CONTACT THEIR HANDLERS: DGP GAURAV YADAV* FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS ONGOING TO ESTABLISH FORWARD AND BACKWARD LINKAGES* In a major breakthrough against narcotics and illegal arms smuggling amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar has foiled a cross-border smuggling module with the arrest of four individuals from whom 27 kg heroin and one sophisticated foreign-made .30 bore PX5 pistol along with three cartridges were recovered, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Wednesday. Those arrested have been identified as Vishal Singh alias Shalu, Manpreet Singh alias Sunny and Smartpreet Singh, all three residents of Bhalla Colony in Chheharta, Amritsar; and Karan Singh, a resident of village Bhusse in Tarn Taran. Apart from recovering narcotics and weapons, police teams have also impounded their black colored Splendor motorcycle (PB02-CW-6647) and grey colored Honda Activa (PB02-EX-4503), which were being used for smuggling activities. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were operating in coordination with a Dubai-based operative and cross-border smugglers. After retrieving the consignments of drugs and illegal arms, arrested accused persons were to further supply them on the instructions of their handlers, he said. The DGP said that the probe has also revealed that arrested accused persons were using encrypted communication platforms to contact their handlers, apparently with the intention of evading detection by the police. Sharing operational details, he said that CI Amritsar teams had received a specific information that suspects Vishal, Manpreet, Smartpreet and Karan had obtained a huge drone dropped consignment of heroin and arms from the Indo-Pak border area of Attari, and are supposed to deliver the consignment to some other party in the area near Adda Khasa in Amritsar. Acting swiftly, police teams conducted raid and intercepted them near Bus Shelter at Khasa, he said, while adding that during their search, 27 kg heroin and one sophisticated foreign made .30 bore PX5 pistol along with 3 cartridges were recovered from their possession. The DGP said that further investigation is underway to establish the complete backward and forward linkages in this case to identify all persons involved in the smuggling network. In this regard, a case FIR No. 58 dated 15-09-2026 under sections 21, 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act and section 25 of the Arms Act has been registered at Police Station State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar.