— Punjab Police resolute in making Punjab drug-free, as directed by CM Bhagwant Singh Mann
— Teams recover 372 grams of gold, seize four luxury vehicles
— Mastermind Harbhaj alias Bheja, linked to Pakistani smuggler Shehbaz from jail, arrested, says DGP Gaurav Yadav
— ANTF identifies properties worth hundreds of crores, initiates freezing process: DGP Punjab
— In 24 days, Punjab Police arrest 3,868 drug smugglers, recover 135 kg heroin, 82 kg opium, and ₹5.42 crore in drug money
Chandigarh, March 24, 2025
In a significant breakthrough amid the ongoing anti-drug campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’, launched on the directives of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Police’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), with assistance from central agencies, has busted a Pakistan-backed narco-terrorism hawala network. The operation led to the arrest of 11 individuals—including five drug smugglers, three drug money couriers, and three hawala traders—and the recovery of ₹5.09 crore in drug money across various foreign currencies, announced Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav on Monday.
The arrested drug smugglers include Harjinder Singh alias Ajay (26) from Ram Talai, Amritsar; Harmanjit Singh alias Harry (27) from Guru Nanak Colony, Amritsar; Sagar (28) from Naraingarh, Chheharta, Amritsar; Lavdeep Singh alias Lala (30) from Husanpura Kalan, Batala; and Harbhaj Singh alias Bheja (30) from Kakkar, Amritsar. The drug money couriers are Saurav alias Saurav Mahajan (24) from Joda Phatak, Amritsar; Tanush (28) from Ghah Mandi Chowk, Amritsar; and Harminder Singh alias Harry (28) from Damganj, Amritsar. The hawala traders arrested are Ashok Kumar Sharma (60), owner of Phagwara-based Sharma Forex Money Changer, along with his associates Rajesh Kumar (50) from Mutiarpur Mohalla, Phagwara, and Amit Bansal alias Sunil (47) from Sukhchain Nagar, Phagwara.
This breakthrough follows two months of meticulous investigation sparked by the arrest of Harjinder Singh alias Ajay and Harmanjit Singh alias Harry on January 21, 2025, with 263 grams of heroin and ₹5.60 lakh in drug money recovered from them.
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Addressing a press conference, DGP Gaurav Yadav revealed that on January 22, ANTF teams arrested three hawala couriers—Saurav Mahajan, Tanush, and Harminder alias Harry—seizing ₹47.50 lakh in drug money and impounding their Mahindra XUV 300. Further probes led to the arrest of two additional smugglers, Sagar and Lavdeep Singh alias Lala, on January 24, with ₹5 lakh, an Activa scooter, and 160 grams of heroin recovered.
Investigations uncovered Harbhaj Singh alias Bheja, an inmate at Central Jail Amritsar, as the mastermind, maintaining contact with Pakistani drug smuggler Shehbaz from within the prison. On January 26, Bheja was brought on a production warrant and formally arrested. Shehbaz, from Burewal village in Narowal district, Pakistan, had illegally entered India in 2021, leading to an FIR and his subsequent detention in Amritsar Central Jail before deportation.
DGP Yadav disclosed that Harbhaj and Harmanjit alias Harry met Shehbaz during their incarceration together in Amritsar jail. Post-release, Harmanjit reconnected with Shehbaz via mobile phones to orchestrate the drug racket, later roping in Harminder alias Harry. The duo used Sharma Forex Money Exchanger in Phagwara to deposit drug money as per Shehbaz’s instructions, leading to the arrests of Ashok Sharma on March 17 and his accomplice Amit Bansal alias Sunil on March 18. Another associate, Rajesh alias Bobby, was arrested with ₹50.50 lakh based on technical inputs.
Further recoveries include ₹36.59 lakh (bringing the total Indian currency seized to ₹1.45 crore), 263,630 Euros, 7,000 US Dollars, 10,020 Canadian Dollars, 27,500 Pounds, and 285 Dirhams, alongside 372 grams of gold from various locations. In addition to the Mahindra XUV 300, police impounded a BMW, a Mahindra Thar Automatic, and a Hyundai i10.
The DGP highlighted that ANTF has identified illegal properties worth hundreds of crores linked to this network, with proceedings underway to freeze them under Section 68F of the NDPS Act. The racket spans Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Phagwara, and Panchkula, with seven more suspects named and a manhunt launched to apprehend them.
Providing an update on the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign, DGP Yadav reported that since March 1, 2025, Punjab Police have arrested 3,868 drug smugglers, registering 2,177 FIRs in 24 days. Seizures include 135.5 kg of heroin, 82.9 kg of opium, 1,419 kg of poppy husk, 34.24 kg of ganja, 7.58 lakh intoxicant tablets/pills/injections, 1 kg of ICE, and ₹5.42 crore in drug money.
“Punjab Police remain steadfast in our commitment to making Punjab drug-free, as envisioned by CM Bhagwant Singh Mann,” Yadav affirmed.
