Two men allegedly associated with an international drug cartel have been arrested by the Special Cell, the Delhi Police said on Friday. Heroin worth ₹8 crore and ₹20 lakh in cash have also been recovered.
Gurnaam Singh and Dilbagh Singh are accused of being part of an international drug ring with origins in Afghanistan and a trafficking network spanning Pakistan and several parts of India, said a senior officer.
‘Acute shortage’
“The duo disclosed that there was acute shortage of drugs in Punjab due to the February elections. They collected four huge consignments of heroin over the past month from their contact in Delhi and wanted to supply it at exorbitant rates in Punjab after the polls,” said a senior police officer.
According to the police, 2 kg fine-quality heroin were recovered from the accused. The duo was also in touch with persons of African, Pakistani and Afghan origin, allegedly members of the drug cartel.
Special Cell officers posted in the northern range were working on information related to an international drug ring in Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Punjab. This information was developed through technical and human surveillance over three to four months and eventually led to the bust, the police said.
They received a tip-off regarding exchange of drugs near a petrol pump at Amrahi Village extension in Dwarka on March 8. The police was also informed that the traffickers would arrive in a car bearing a Haryana registration number to receive a consignment from a man of African origin.
Trap laid
“A crack team was formed and a trap laid at vantage points near the petrol pump. The car was spotted and quick exchange of consignment witnessed. However, the drug traffickers sensed police presence and sped away,” the officer said.
Police teams tailed the car and intercepted it near Singhu border. “Following a tussle, the duo was forced to surrender. Gurnaam and Dilbagh were each carrying 1 kg of fine quality heroin. Besides this, ₹20 lakh in denominations of new ₹2,000 notes were recovered from the car,” said the officer.
Their interrogation by the police revealed that Gurnaam is Dilbagh’s maternal uncle and that the car is registered in name of Dilbagh’s father Balwinder Singh, who is in Tihar jail.
“The duo would allegedly get their supply from traffickers of African-origin residing in Dwarka, who in turn sourced it from Afghanistan and Pakistan. The carriers would consume insoluble capsules of heroin. After landing in India, the insoluble capsules would be flushed out and supplied to drug dealers in Delhi and Punjab,” the officer claimed.
