Punjab Police Cracks Down on Pak-Backed Narco-Terror Hawala Network; 11 Arrested, ₹5.09 Crore Seized
In a significant breakthrough against narco-terrorism, the Punjab Police’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), in coordination with central agencies, has dismantled a Pakistan-backed hawala network amid the ongoing anti-drugs campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ initiated by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, announced on Monday that 11 individuals—including five drug smugglers, three drug hawala couriers, and three hawala traders—have been arrested, with drug-related money amounting to ₹5.09 crore recovered in various foreign currencies.
Key Arrests
The arrested drug smugglers include:
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Harjinder Singh alias Ajay (26) – Ram Talai, Amritsar
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Harmanjit Singh alias Harry (27) – Guru Nanak Colony, Amritsar
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Sagar (28) – Naraingarh, Amritsar
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Lavdeep Singh alias Lala (30) – Husanpura Kalan, Batala
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Harbhaj Singh alias Bheja (30) – Kakkar, Amritsar
The arrested hawala couriers:
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Saurav alias Saurav Mahajan (24) – Joda Phatak, Amritsar
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Tanush (28) – Ghah Mandi Chowk, Amritsar
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Harminder Singh alias Harry (28) – Damganj, Amritsar
The arrested hawala traders:
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Ashok Kumar Sharma (60) – Owner of Sharma Forex Money Changer, Phagwara
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Rajesh Kumar alias Bobby (50) – Mutiarpur Mohalla, Phagwara
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Amit Bansal alias Sunil (47) – Sukhchain Nagar, Phagwara
Investigation and Key Findings
The arrests resulted from a two-month-long investigation following the January 21, 2025, capture of Harjinder Singh and Harmanjit Singh, who were found in possession of 263 grams of heroin and ₹5.60 lakh in drug money. Subsequent probes led to the arrest of three hawala couriers and the seizure of ₹47.50 lakh in drug money, along with their Mahindra XUV 300. On January 24, two additional drug smugglers, Sagar and Lavdeep Singh, were apprehended with ₹5 lakh in drug money, an Activa scooter, and 160 grams of heroin.
Further investigation revealed that Harbhaj Singh alias Bheja, an inmate at Central Jail Amritsar, was the mastermind of this network and had been coordinating with Pakistani drug smuggler Shahbaz from within the prison. On January 26, Harbhaj Singh was brought in on a production warrant and formally arrested.
Pakistani smuggler Shehbaz, originally from Narowal, had illegally entered India and was detained in February 2021 before being deported back to Pakistan. Investigations revealed that during their time in jail, Harbhaj Singh and Harmanjit Singh developed links with Shehbaz, who later reconnected with them via mobile phones after his release to continue the drug trade.
Hawala Operations and Money Trail
Interrogations revealed that Harmanjit and Harminder used Sharma Forex Money Exchanger in Phagwara to deposit drug proceeds under instructions from Pakistani smuggler Shehbaz. Police subsequently arrested Ashok Sharma and his accomplice Sunil on March 17-18. Another associate, Rajesh alias Bobby, was arrested from his residence, leading to the seizure of ₹50.50 lakh.
The police further recovered:
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₹1.45 crore in Indian currency
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2,63,630 Euros
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7,000 US Dollars
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10,020 Canadian Dollars
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27,500 Pounds
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285 Dirhams
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372 grams of gold
Additionally, four high-end vehicles, including a BMW, Mahindra Thar Automatic, Hyundai i10, and a Mahindra XUV 300, were impounded.
Freezing of Illegal Assets
The ANTF has identified illegal properties linked to this network worth hundreds of crores, and the process to freeze them under Section 68F of the NDPS Act has been initiated. The investigation has so far uncovered connections spanning Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Phagwara, and Panchkula. Police teams have also nominated seven more individuals, and a manhunt is underway to arrest them.
Progress in ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ Campaign
Sharing updates on the 24-day anti-drug drive, DGP Yadav revealed that since March 1, 2025, Punjab Police has:
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Arrested 3,868 drug smugglers
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Registered 2,177 FIRs
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Seized:
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135.5 kg heroin
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82.9 kg opium
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1,419 kg poppy husk
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34.24 kg ganja
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7.58 lakh intoxicant tablets/pills/injections
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1 kg ICE (crystal meth)
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₹5.42 crore in drug money
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DGP Gaurav Yadav reaffirmed Punjab Police’s commitment to eradicating drug networks and dismantling narco-terrorism links operating within the state.