AMRITSAR: In a major crackdown on organised drug trafficking and illegal arms supply, Amritsar Commissionerate Police have dismantled three suspected networks and arrested five people, recovering 13 pistols, 22 live cartridges and 3.267 kg of heroin, according to Punjab Police.
The operation, described by the police as a significant breakthrough against the nexus between narcotics and illegal weapons, was carried out by teams of Amritsar Commissionerate Police. Separate FIRs have been registered at D-Division and Chheharta police stations in Amritsar.
According to the preliminary investigation, the arrested suspects were allegedly involved in supplying illegal firearms as well as narcotics. Police said the seizure of a substantial quantity of heroin along with multiple pistols and live ammunition indicates the extent of the networks under investigation.
The authorities are now widening the probe to establish the complete supply chain behind the seized drugs and weapons. Investigators are examining both the backward and forward linkages of the networks to identify their sources, intermediaries, distributors and potential buyers.
Punjab Police said the investigation will also focus on identifying handlers operating from outside India. The possibility of foreign-based handlers being connected with the networks is being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
The recovery of 13 pistols is particularly significant from a law-and-order perspective, as the illegal circulation of firearms can add a dangerous dimension to organised criminal activity and drug trafficking. Police are expected to examine the origin of the weapons, their intended recipients and whether the firearms were linked to any other criminal activity.
The recovery of 3.267 kg of heroin has simultaneously placed the narcotics supply chain under scrutiny. Investigators will seek to determine where the contraband originated, how it entered the distribution network and where it was intended to be supplied.
Police have emphasised that the investigation is still in progress and that further arrests and recoveries cannot be ruled out as investigators trace the wider network.
The latest operation forms part of Punjab Police’s continuing campaign against drug trafficking and illegal weapons. The department has increasingly focused on identifying the networks behind individual seizures rather than treating each arrest as an isolated case.
In its statement, Punjab Police reiterated its commitment to dismantling drug trafficking and illegal arms networks and working towards a safer and drug-free Punjab.
For investigators, the next stage of the case will be crucial. Recovering narcotics and firearms can establish the immediate criminal network, but tracing the entire chain—from suppliers and financiers to distributors and end recipients—is essential for breaking the infrastructure that sustains such operations.
The police will now examine the evidence collected during the operation, question the arrested suspects and pursue the financial and communication links that could lead investigators to other members of the network.
With separate FIRs registered at D-Division and Chheharta police stations, the investigation has formally moved into the next phase. Police have indicated that their focus will remain on uncovering the full network and identifying every person involved, including any handlers operating from abroad.
The latest action underscores the continuing challenge posed by the convergence of drugs and illegal firearms in Punjab and the importance of sustained investigation to prevent such networks from rebuilding themselves after individual arrests.