Pb fugitive who smuggled arms, drugs from Pak using drones held in U’khand

Rudrapur: In a major breakthrough, Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) and Punjab Police successfully arrested a wanted criminal in Bazpur, Udham Singh Nagar district, for his alleged involvement in an international arms and drug smuggling racket.Accused Ishaanpreet Singh, a resident of Chheharta in Amritsar, Punjab, had been evading arrest for several weeks. He is accused of procuring illegal weapons and heroin from Pakistan via drones.According to STF SSP Ajay Singh, Ishaanpreet was wanted in several serious criminal cases in Punjab, and had been absconding since May 23, after escaping during a police raid at his Amritsar residence. During that raid, police recovered 12 illegal pistols, 20 magazines and nearly 900 grammes of heroin allegedly flown across the international border using drones.“The arrest is expected to provide crucial leads about an inter-state and cross-border smuggling network involved in trafficking arms and narcotics. Investigators suspect Ishaanpreet is an active member of a larger organised syndicate,” said SSP Singh.The operation was launched late Sunday night following specific intelligence shared by Punjab Police. A joint team laid a trap in Keshavnagar area of Bazpur, successfully apprehending the fugitive before he could flee.

Following his arrest, Ishaanpreet was handed over to the Punjab Police for further investigation. Officials stated he will be questioned regarding his Pakistan-based handlers, the logistics of the drone supply chain and his local associates.