Chandigarh/Ferozpur: In one of the biggest heroin seizures of the year, Punjab police have busted two separate cross-border drug smuggling rackets with suspected Pakistan links and arrested four drug traffickers after recovering 77.8 Kg heroin worth Rs 385 crores, a top office said on Sunday.

Three pistols were also seized from those arrested, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav told UNI here.

The DGP said both the intelligence-led operations were executed by the Counter Intelligence, Ferozepur.

He said following reliable inputs about a large heroin consignment, police teams from Counter Intelligence Ferozepur, under the supervision of Additional Inspector General, State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Ferozepur Lakhbir Singh laid a nakabandi and arrested two persons when they were coming on their motorcycle after retrieving the consignment.

Those arrested have been identified as Gagga Gill alias Gagan alias Kali of Ferozepur and Veer Singh alias Veeru of Fazilka.

The police recovered 41.8Kg heroin and three pistols including two 9mm pistols along with four magazines and 100 cartridges, and one .30 bore zigana along with two magazines and 15 cartridges from their possession.

A case has been registered at police station SSOC Fazilka in this regard.

The DGP sad in another intelligence-based operation, the police teams from Counter Intelligence Ferozepur arrested Jasbhinder Singh alias Bhinda and Jagdeep Singh alias Bhuchar, both residents of Faridkot, after recovering a cache of 36Kg heroin from their possession when they were coming on their motorcycle after retrieving the consignment.

A separate case has been registered under sections 21(C) and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station SSOC Fazilka.

“These modules were actively involved in trans-border and inter-state drug smuggling in Punjab in a big way,” said he.

Special DGP Internal Security RN Dhoke said the police are investigating backward and forward linkages in both cases to find out the role of other people involved in this case including the Pak-based sender of this consignment.

More arrests are expected in the coming days, he added.

(With UNI inputs)