Afghan among six held as Punjab Police bust cross-border arms, drug network

Amritsar police have arrested six individuals, including an Afghan national, in a coordinated operation targeting a cross‑border network that was moving Glock pistols, heroin and hawala cash across the Majha and Doaba regions.

The seizure, carried out by the Punjab Police, resulted in the recovery of Glock pistols, a quantity of heroin and a substantial amount of cash transferred through informal hawala channels, according to a police statement.

Majha and Doaba, located along Punjab’s porous border with neighboring districts, have long been corridors for smuggling activities, and the recent arrests underscore the continued challenge of monitoring cross‑border movement.

The presence of hawala cash highlights the use of informal money‑transfer systems to finance illicit arms and drug trade, a method that complicates law‑enforcement efforts and underscores the need for coordinated financial investigations.

The six detainees are currently being held for further interrogation and will be presented before the appropriate judicial authorities in accordance with existing legal procedures, officials said.

The case reflects a broader pattern of cross‑border smuggling that exploits the geographic continuity between the Majha and Doaba zones, where transport routes are less scrutinised.

Punjab has seen a rise in attempts to smuggle weapons and narcotics through its border areas, prompting the police to intensify patrols and intelligence gathering along the Majha and Doaba corridors.

Local officials say the latest arrest will send a message to other criminal groups operating in the region, reinforcing the state’s resolve to curb illegal arms and drug trafficking.

Source: Hindustan Times