Three smugglers held with drugs, fake currency in Amritsar

Amritsar, July 3 (IANS) Nearly 11 kg of heroin, fake currency with a face value of Rs.5 lakh and arms were recovered from three smugglers arrested by police from the outskirts of Amritsar city, an official said Tuesday.

Officials of the Punjab Police’s special operations cell, which made the arrests, said that the seized heroin was worth Rs.55 crore in the international market.
Operations cell in charge S. Bhoopathi told the media that an Italian-made Beretta pistol and 38 cartridges were also recovered from the possession of the smugglers. Pakistani Sim cards were also found from them, he said.
He added that the three smugglers were apprehended by a police team late Monday night following a tip off that they were going to deliver a drugs consignment.
The three smugglers were held with one kg heroin, fake currency and arms.
He said that further interrogation revealed that they had hidden a big consignment of drugs near the border. On searching the spot near the India-Pakistan international border along with the Border Security Force (BSF) Tuesday, the team recovered another 10 kg heroin.
Genuine Indian currency worth Rs.2.25 lakh was also recovered from their possession, he said.