Chandigarh Police dismantle cross-border narco-terror network, 3 arrested
Chandigarh Police have successfully dismantled a cross-border and inter-state network involved in the supply of arms, narcotics, and fake Indian currency notes (FICN), arresting three more individuals in connection with a murder case from last month.
The three accused, identified as Akash Kumar alias Mani, Sachin Silvester, and Gurmeet Singh Badshah, all residents of Tarn Taran district in Punjab, were arrested during an operation by the Crime Branch of Chandigarh Police.
Police stated that the main conspirator, Dharminder Singh alias Goli, who is already lodged in Kapurthala Jail in Punjab, coordinated the operations from prison at the behest of a foreign handler. Goli, a habitual offender with 32 previous criminal cases including murder, extortion, and drug-related crimes, is believed to have orchestrated the murder of a pharmacy cashier last month.
The investigation revealed that the network had a multi-layered structure, with handlers based in Pakistan and other foreign locations using low-flying drones to drop contraband and weapons near the border in Punjab. Local associates then collected these items and distributed them.
On June 13, two masked men shot dead Janki Das (45), a cashier at a pharmacy in Sector 11, Chandigarh. The incident was captured on CCTV. Subsequent investigation led to the arrests and recovery of 3.028 kg of methamphetamine (ICE), FICN with a face value of Rs 8 lakh, two sophisticated pistols, and magazines.
According to a police statement, the network used encrypted messaging applications to evade surveillance. The conspiracy involved providing safe houses to hitmen brought in from Jammu & Kashmir, test-firing smuggled weapons, and conducting reconnaissance before committing violent crimes.
Police teams are continuing their efforts to break the larger network, including gangsters involved in extortion and firing cases. Further investigation is underway to identify other associates and trace the source of the recovered contraband and weapons.
