20052025-ATR-01.qxd 5/19/2025 10:41 PM Page 1 c m y b Amritsar tribune FORECAST PARTLY CLOUDY MC COMMISSIONER CONDUCTS CLEANLINESS CHECK 100 E-BUSES TO HIT HOLY CITY ROADS SOON ANANYA AND ISHAAN PART OF FORBES 30 UNDER 30 ASIA LIST The Amritsar MC Commissioner carried out an inspection and issued directives to officials at various locations. P2 Around 100 electric buses will soon begin operations along the BRTS corridor in Amritsar. P2 The list has 30 young entrepreneurs, artistes, athletes and more from across the Asia-Pacific region. P4 » » » MAX 42°C | MIN 29°C YESTERDAY MAX 41°C | MIN 29°C SUNSET TUESDAY 7.08 PM SUNRISE WEDNESDAY 5.27 AM TUESDAY | 20 MAY 2025 | AMRITSAR Cops seize drone from Peddler held with 1.51 kg heroin SI’s murder suspect Tribune News Service Three pistols were seized from him Tribune News Service Amritsar, May 19 On the disclosure of Amandeep Singh, a resident of Kot Mehtab Khan village in Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran, the special cell of the Amritsar police has recovered a Pakistani drone used for crossborder smuggling of weapons. The flying machine was hidden in a drain at the border village of Ratnawali around two months ago, said SSP, Amritsar (Rural), Maninder Singh. Amandeep Singh, one of the accused in the killing of Tarn Taran police SubInspector Charanjit Singh, was arrested by the special cell on Saturday and three Glock pistols along with six bullets and two mobile phones were seized from him. Besides, the police had also arrested Sukhchain Singh of Manawala Khurd village. Satwinder Singh, incharge of the special cell, said on Amandeep’s information, the police launched a search operation near the Ratnawali village drain and recovered a small Chinese drone able to carry a payload of up to 1kg. The police said the drone might have been used for smuggling of weapons and drugs from the Pakistan side. Further investigations were on to ascertain how many weapons he got smuggled from Pakistan. The Tarn Taran police would also take him on production warrant and arrest him for the SI’s murder occurred on April 9. SI Charanjit Singh had gone to Kot Mehtab Kha village after the police received a call on 112 helpline about firing between two groups. When he along with his team reached there, he tried to settle the matter. However, the two groups started pelting each other and the police team with stones. In the melee, one of the groups started firing which hit SI Charanjit Singh. An ASI, Jasbir Singh, was also injured in the incident. The police had arrested an AAP sarpanch among around 20 persons in the case. Accused Amandeep Singh was evading arrest and had been hiding since then. He has changed his appearance in order to dodge the police. Amritsar, May 19 A day after the seizure of over 10 kg heroin with the arrest of three persons, the city police have busted another crossborder drug cartel and confiscated 1.51 kg of contraband and a pistol from one person. He was identified as Ajay Kumar (29), a resident of Aman Avenue located on Majitha Road here. Previously, he had two criminal cases, including one under the NDPS Act, registered against him in which he was arrested with 190 gm heroin in 2023. “Ajay was arrested from Sangna village. Apart from 1.51 kg heroin, the Division C police also seized a .32 bore pistol along with five live cartridges from his possession,” said Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar. Tarn Taran, May 19 A day after the death of a 30year-old man, Paramjit Singh Pamma of Warana, due to drug overdose on Sunday, another youth lost his life due to drug overdose on Monday. The victim, a resident of Muradpur locality here, has been identified as Karanbir 1 more nabbed with ~3.15L drug money Tribune News Service ADCP Vishaljit Singh (left) briefs mediapersons about the arrest of two drug peddlers in Amritsar on Monday. His name cropped up during the interrogation of Vishal Kumar, alias Billu, Amandeep Singh, alias Aman, and Baljinder Singh, alias Billu, who were arrested by the police on May 3 with 340 gm of heroin and Rs 4,100 drug money and an electronic scale. “Ajay fled away and hid himself in Chatiwind area. As a police team was making continuous efforts, it got a tip-off about his location. Immediately, police teams rushed to the spot and continued on page 2 19-yr-old dies of drug overdose Our Correspondent 10.2 KG HEROIN SEIZURE CASE Singh (19), son of Jagjit Singh Mithu. Kanwaljit Kaur, mother of the victim, and his first aunt Sarabjit Kaur said Karanbir Singh was at home where he injected himself with drugs at about 7 am and died at 7.30 am. Kanwaljit Kaur and Sarabjit Kaur said drugs are easily available in the locality and it is due to this easy availability c m y b that the youth got addicted to drugs. They alleged that the state Government and the police have failed to check the drug menace. Rajbir Singh Bhullar, former Zila Parishad member and Congress leader, expressed his sympathy with the bereaved family. The family has reported the matter to the city police. Amritsar, May 19 The Amritsar police have recovered Rs 3.15 lakh of more drug money during investigations into the recovery of 10.2kg of heroin from three persons on Sunday. The police have arrested their one more accomplice, identified as Jagjit Singh (25), a resident of Rania border village, a farmer by occupation. He also did not have a previous criminal record and was arrested for the first time. He was arrested from Islamabad area. He was part of the cross-border drug trafficking racket being run by Sandeep Singh (30), a resident of Kotli Vasawa Singh border village in Tarn Taran, and Akashdeep Singh (22), a barber, and Akash, alias Mota (19), both residents of Tarn Taran’s Cheema Kalan village. As per the investigations carried out so far, Sandeep Singh, also a farmer, was directly in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers for the past six years. The racket had been involved in drug peddling via drones. The police had claimed that Two accused in the custody of the Amritsar police. (FILE PHOTO) since 2018, he had sneaked in and further supplied around 200 kg of heroin in different parts of Punjab. “Sandeep had been involved in supplying heroin since 2018-19 and is suspected to have smuggled over 200 kg of heroin till now, said Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar. Ironically, the Punjab Police did not have any intelligence inputs regarding his involvement in nefarious activities that has been continued for the past six years right under their nose. Of the 10.2kg heroin seized by the police, 9.2 kg of the contraband was seized from Sandeep Singh alone. Sandeep did not have any previous criminal record and he was arrested for the first time. Questions were being raised over how he continued with this illegal trade despite the concerted drive against drug trafficking in Punjab. “We are probing how he continued his nefarious activities. Investigations were also on to identify his backward and forward linkages. More arrests and seizure are expected during further course of investigations,” he added.