Army personnel, dismissed cop among six arrested for links to Pakistan-backed drug cartel in Punjab

An Army man, a dismissed Punjab Police personnel, and two women were among six people arrested on Sunday (February 22, 2026) as the State police unearthed a well-organised heroin trafficking network.

The accused were involved in multiple drug trafficking cases, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said.

In an X post, he said, "In a breakthrough, Faridkot Police, after a two-month-long jail-based interception, busts a well-organised heroin trafficking network, apprehends six accused, including one Army personnel and one dismissed police personnel, and recovers 4.8 kilograms of heroin, one weapon, and a Thar and an XUV." The DGP said an FIR has been registered, and further investigation is underway to establish forward and backward linkages.

In a later statement, he said the breakthrough was the result of a meticulously planned, intelligence-led operation and a two-month-long jail-based interception that exposed the cartel's deep-rooted linkages.

Preliminary investigation suggests that the accused were in direct contact with Pakistan-based smugglers, who used drones to push heroin consignments into the Indian territory, Mr. Yadav said.

According to a statement from the Punjab Police, those arrested have been identified as Jarnail Singh alias Goldy, a Ludhiana resident currently serving in the Indian Army; Amardeep Singh alias Boxer, a Punjab Armed Police cadre employee who was dismissed in 2021; Dimple Rani of Ferozepur; and Ramandeep Kaur, Sarabjit Singh alias Sabba and Amritpal Singh alias Abhijot, all residents of Moga.

Addressing a news conference in Faridkot, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pragya Jain said that apart from the contraband, the police seized drug money worth ₹30,000 and impounded two vehicles — Thar and XUV-500 — which the accused were using for drug trafficking.

Ms. Jain said the involvement of a serving Army personnel and a former police official points to a sophisticated network capable of exploiting institutional knowledge for drug trafficking.

"They misused their official identification cards for easy passage through nakas and toll plazas. Taking along women accomplices in the vehicles while transporting the consignment also points to a well-thought-out modus operandi," she said.

The two women — Dimple Rani and Ramandeep Kaur — were actively involved in the drug network and used to travel with the other accused, she added.

The SSP said they established backward linkages and found that the mastermind was Boxer, the dismissed policeman, who was a habitual offender with nine previous criminal cases registered against him, while most other members also have significant criminal records under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Arms Act.

"Boxer faces nine cases, of which two are registered in Haryana's Sirsa and one case by Punjab's Counter-Intelligence," she said.

Explaining the origin of the police probe, she said that sometime ago, Faridkot Police had arrested a person and recovered some weapons from him. “The subsequent probe into this network and human intelligence led to the successful busting of the current network,” she said.

In the early hours of February 21, police intercepted the Thar in which Army man Jarnail Singh was travelling along with Sarabjit Singh, Amritpal Singh, and Ramandeep Kaur. On checking the vehicle, they recovered 1.08 kilograms of heroin and ₹30,000 worth of drug money.

During sustained questioning, the four people revealed that Boxer was the mastermind of the smuggling network. He was traced and arrested along with Dimple Rani. An XUV 500, over 3.7 kilograms of heroin, an illegal weapon and cartridges were recovered from them, SSP Ms. Jain said.

"We found hooks on the heroin packets, indicating that the consignment was a drone-dropped delivery," she said, adding, "A jailed person is involved in the module. We will bring him on a production warrant and gather more information." On the person's identity, Ms. Jain said it cannot be disclosed at the moment as it could hamper the ongoing investigation.

"It was found that the module was using a mobile phone in jail, through which this person was issuing instructions. We have brought up the matter with the jail authorities," she added.

Police have obtained remand of all the accused. Further investigation will specifically focus on handlers operating from across the border and local distribution points, she said.