PK Jaiswar
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, January 16
The police probe into the narco-terror module has revealed that the Indian Army soldier, arrested along with two others with drones last week, was introduced to the smugglers at the International Border by their Pakistan-based handlers.
Active since July, paused after arms haul
- Naik Rahul Chohan contacted Dharminder Singh, a resident of border village Dhanoe Khurd, through Pak smugglers
- In July 2019, the two allegedly started smuggling drugs using drones. They made several sorties in July and August
- After terror module bust in October, they stopped their activity for a month and resumed sorties in December
Naik Rahul Chohan used to visit the border area while on leave and “smuggle” heroin using drones, the investigation suggests.
An Ambala resident, Chohan is currently posted at Bareilly. “As he was never posted in the border belt, it was a mystery for the probe agencies as to how he got in touch with the border smugglers,” said sources in the rural police, adding names of certain Pakistan smugglers had cropped up during his interrogation. These included Waqar and Choudhary, who used to send the contraband from the other side.
Through Pakistan smugglers, Chohan contacted smuggler Dharminder Singh, a resident of Dhanoe Khurd village, located barely a kilometre inside the barbed border fencing. The two allegedly started smuggling contraband through drones in July 2019. He along with Dharminder made several sorties in July and August to sneak in contraband. However, after a terror module, involved in smuggling of weapons, was busted in October, they stopped their activity for a month. In December, he made fresh attempts to smuggle in contraband.
Chohan procured the drones from an online e-commerce company and made payments through the account of his brother, Rohit, who lives in Karnal. Rohit allegedly helped them conceal a drone that was recovered by the police later.
Drone sighted, search op at border village
- Amritsar: A search operation was launched at Dujjowal village, near the border in Ramdass area, after sound of a drone was heard around 12.30 am on Thursday. BSF jawans opened fire in a bid to shoot down the drone. “Nothing was found in the search,” said a police officer.
Dharminder along with accomplice Balkar Singh was nabbed for possessing heroin five years ago. The two were released on bail in 2019, but Balkar was rearrested by the Tarn Taran police for possessing drugs.
SSP (Amritsar Rural) Vikram Jeet Duggal said the police had been working on the case for the past one month when reports of sounds of drones near the border cropped up.
“It was learnt that sorties were made from the Indian side. We zeroed in on two Doake and Mode border villages and recovered a drone at Mode, which is located adjoining to Dhanoe Khurd village,” he said.
The rural police had booked Chohan, Dharminder, Balkar and Ajaypal Singh on January 7 for smuggling drugs. Following interrogation, the police arrested Lakhwinder Singh and Sarvan Singh from the Amritsar central jail. According to the police, more names had cropped up during investigation and raids were on to nab them, including Ajaypal.