Chandigarh, Sep 20: In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police on Sunday said it had busted a cross-border heroin smuggling network by apprehending four operatives and recovering 47.3 kg of heroin, three pistols, three magazines, 15 cartridges, and two vehicles.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused are linked to a network involved in cross-border smuggling of heroin and illegal arms into Punjab, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav wrote on X.

He said the first investigation report (FIR) was registered in Faridkot.

Further investigation is underway to uncover the wider network and establish its linkages.

A day earlier, Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar busted another cross-border narcotics smuggling module with the arrest of three key operatives and recovered 17 kg of heroin from their possession. Police had identified the arrested as Prince, Malkit Singh, and Rajinder Singh, all residents of Kot Mit Singh in Amritsar.

Apart from the heroin, police teams also impounded a car used for transporting the contraband.

With this seizure on Saturday, CI Amritsar has pushed the total recovery of heroin to 54 kg in four days, having previously recovered consignments of 27 kg and 10 kg.

DGP Yadav said CI Amritsar teams had received specific input that three operatives of the smuggling module had received a drone-dropped consignment and were expected to strike a major drug deal beneath the flyover on the Amritsar-Tarn Taran road. Acting promptly, police established a checkpoint and intercepted their car near the park by the flyover. During the search, 17 kg of heroin was recovered.

On September 16, four persons were held with 27 kg of heroin and a foreign-made .30 bore PX5 pistol with three cartridges. On September 18, one person was held with 10 kg of heroin.

New Delhi, Sep 20: The Delhi Police have solved a long-pending missing-person case after the minor was found in Bihar after eight years of sustained efforts, officials said on Sunday.

The Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of Delhi Police’s Central District successfully traced and recovered the minor girl from Bihar, bringing an end to a long-pending case registered at Anand Parbat police station.

The case dates back to October 14, 2018, when an FIR was registered at PS Anand Parbat in connection with the alleged missing and kidnapping of a minor girl, who was then 14 years old and a resident of the national capital’s Anand Parbat area.

Following the registration of the case, sustained efforts were made by the police to trace the missing girl and ascertain her whereabouts. During the course of the investigation and search operations, the AHTU team examined footage from multiple CCTV cameras and conducted extensive searches at around 90 shelter homes for girls, 52 orphanages, religious places, and red-light areas across Delhi-NCR.

Despite the extensive searches and multiple efforts undertaken over the years, the whereabouts of the missing girl could not initially be established. The AHTU team, however, continued to pursue available leads and kept working on the long-pending case.

A few months ago, the team received a crucial secret input indicating that the missing girl might be present in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur. Acting promptly on the information, a dedicated team was constituted to trace and recover her.

The team comprised Sub-Inspector Raj Bahadur Singh, Head Constable Surender and Woman Constable Manisha. The team worked under the supervision of Inspector Anil Yadav, In-charge of AHTU, with overall supervision by the ACP, DIU.

Following the development of the lead, the police team immediately travelled to Kanpur and conducted searches at the location indicated by the source. However, upon reaching the spot, the team learnt that the missing girl had been moved from the location shortly before their arrival.

The police team did not abandon the search and continued checking the surrounding areas while developing additional local sources in an effort to trace her whereabouts. Despite these efforts, no immediate clue could be established at that stage.

The team continued to follow the lead and subsequently received information suggesting that the missing girl might be residing in Bihar’s Samastipur district. Acting on the newly developed information, the AHTU team proceeded to Samastipur on September 15.

Through sustained technical surveillance, field verification and persistent ground-level efforts, the team was able to narrow down the location of the missing girl to Shahpur Patori.

The police team subsequently conducted a search operation in the area and successfully located and recovered the missing girl from Patori with the assistance of the local police.

Following her recovery, the girl was brought back to Delhi on September 17 and produced for medical examination. She was subsequently counselled, and her statement was recorded under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

After completion of the requisite legal and procedural formalities, the recovered girl was handed over to her parents, facilitating her reunion with her family after eight years.

New Delhi, Sep 20: The Delhi Police arrested three people in connection with a cyber-fraud case involving cheating of Rs 97,708, with the accused allegedly operating and facilitating the use of a mule bank account to receive and handle proceeds of cyber fraud, officials said on Sunday.

Three mobile phones and Rs 20,000 in cash were also recovered during the course of the investigation.

The case came to light after a complaint was received from a resident of Tamil Nadu, who alleged that he had been cheated of Rs 97,708 on the pretext of providing benefits under the Government Scholarship Scheme.

During the investigation, the police meticulously analysed the financial trail of the cheated amount. Since the mule bank account used for carrying out the transactions was being operated in Delhi’s East District, the Cyber Police Station there took up the investigation to identify the persons facilitating and operating the account and to disrupt the chain involved in handling the proceeds of the cyber fraud.

Accordingly, an FIR under Sections 112(2) and 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at the police station.

As part of sustained efforts to identify and disrupt the financial channels being used for cyber fraud, a dedicated team of PS Cyber, East District, was constituted under the leadership of Inspector Pawan, SHO/PS Cyber, East District, and under the supervision of ACP, Operations, Amandeep Kaur.

The team comprised Sub-Inspectors Bhanu Singh and Azad, Head Constables Ajay, Parveen, and Yogesh, who conducted a detailed analysis of the financial transactions and digital trail linked to the cheated amount.

The investigation established that the cheated money had been routed through a bank account maintained in the name of 23-year-old Kunal Kumar, a labourer.

Further scrutiny of the bank records revealed that the account was allegedly being used as a mule account for receiving and handling proceeds generated through cyber fraud.

Police found that approximately Rs 44,500 had been withdrawn from the account, while a portion of the amount was subsequently transferred to accused Manish Kumar, a 22-year-old college student.

Further investigation revealed the alleged involvement of Manish Kumar and another 22-year-old college student, Jeet alias Nikhil, in handling the movement of the cheated amount. According to the investigation, Manish Kumar used to arrange mule bank accounts for Jeet.

Police said Manish allegedly arranged the account in exchange for a 10 per cent commission on the cheated amount and subsequently withdrew the money transferred from the account of accused Kunal Kumar.

The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of all three accused — Kunal Kumar, Manish Kumar and Jeet.

Police said further investigation is in progress to trace the remaining associates, establish the complete money trail, and trace and recover the remaining proceeds of crime.