Chandigarh:
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sarpanch from Tarn Taran district in connection with a cross-border drug smuggling case involving a Punjab Police constable who was caught with 15 kg of heroin.
Investigators are probing an alleged nexus between the constable deployed to prevent drone-based smuggling and suspected members of the trafficking network.
Lakhwinder Singh, former sarpanch of Rajoke village, was among three people arrested by the NCB in the latest round of action on Tuesday. The other two accused have been identified as Babbu alias Vishal, a resident of Bhuse village, and Sukhmanpreet Kaur from Delhi. The arrests come six days after constable Karandeep Singh was taken into custody on October 14.
Investigators suspect that Karandeep Singh was working with Lakhwinder Singh and sharing sensitive information about anti-drone operations along the India-Pakistan border. The constable was attached to the Punjab Police's anti-drone unit, tasked with intercepting consignments of drugs and weapons dropped from across the border.
Police said the constable allegedly shared details of his duty schedule with the former sarpanch, potentially facilitating the movement of drug consignments. Investigators are examining digital evidence, including WhatsApp chats, to establish the nature and extent of the relationship between the two.
The NCB is also probing the alleged links of the network with smugglers operating from Pakistan. Investigators are examining financial transactions, assets and property holdings to establish the money trail and identify other people who may have been involved. The agency is also investigating the suspected role of the accused in facilitating multiple consignments of narcotics.