Chandigarh/Panchkula: The UT crime branch has busted an interstate drug syndicate, arresting five members of the network from different parts of Punjab and Haryana and recovering over 1.1kg heroin valued at around Rs 2.35 crore.Those arrested have been identified as Aftab (26) and Nitin Kumar (25) of Ambala, Haryana; Sahil (25) and Ajay alias Sanju (25) of Ludhiana; and Satpal Singh (22) of Amritsar.Acting on secret input, a crime branch team apprehended Aftab on February 27 from Sector 39, Chandigarh, and seized more than 1kg heroin from him. His interrogation led police to the remaining four accused—Nitin, Ajay, Sahil, and Satpal—who were subsequently arrested in coordinated follow-up raids.During further questioning, police recovered Rs 2.20 lakh in alleged drug money from Aftab. They also recovered 23g heroin from Nitin and 18g heroin from Sahil. An electronic weighing machine and empty pouches—typically used for packing contraband—were recovered from Ajay.Investigators described Aftab as a key link in the trafficking chain. Probe revealed he was in touch with Parvez, a resident of Ambala’s Charkhi Mohalla who now lives in France and works as a painter. Parvez, police said, had also been in contact with a Pakistani national, through whom heroin was being sourced via an Amritsar-based associate. Efforts are on to trace and arrest this supplier.Police said Nitin Kumar regularly received heroin consignments from Aftab and supplied them to local peddlers in Ambala, helping sustain the network’s distribution channel. Sahil and Ajay were similarly involved in disseminating consignments across Ludhiana and the tricity.Satpal Singh, investigators said, worked closely with Aftab and assisted in transporting, delivering, and circulating heroin to various peddlers as instructed.2 held with over 500g heroin in Chandigarh, PanchkulaIn two separate operations, UT Police and Panchkula crime branch arrested two men and recovered more than 500g heroin worth nearly Rs 2.5 crore from different locations.In Chandigarh, a Sector 36 police team arrested Arshdeep Singh, 25, of Chabal Jhabal village in Tarn Taran, after receiving a tip-off that he was arriving to supply heroin near the backside of ISBT-43. During patrolling near Sector 35 on March 6, police verified the input and reached the spot, where Arshdeep attempted to flee but was caught. A total of 258.92g heroin, categorised as commercial quantity, was recovered from him.According to police, Arshdeep revealed he procured heroin from a friend in Patti, Tarn Taran, and sold it in Chandigarh for Rs 2,300 per gram, handing over the proceeds to his supplier and earning a commission. He was produced before a local court and remanded to 3-day police custody. Raids are underway in Tarn Taran and Amritsar to trace the supply network and identify his associates.Meanwhile, the Panchkula Crime Branch arrested Tajinder Singh of Budhanpur village with 260g heroin, valued at about Rs 1.25 crore. Acting on a patrolling input about a youth waiting near Sector 16–25/26 bridge to sell heroin, a team raided the spot and nabbed him. A search conducted in the presence of ACP Rakesh led to the recovery of the contraband, along with two phones. Police said Tajinder, a drug addict fond of expensive gadgets, turned to smuggling to finance his lifestyle. He has been remanded for further interrogation to identify suppliers and local links.
