Tractor or BMW, Drugs Find a Ride In Punjab

From a tractor's speaker box in Moga to a luxury BMW in Amritsar, two separate police operations have highlighted the different ways vehicles are allegedly being used to transport heroin and other contraband in Punjab. In Moga, three accused allegedly travelled from Mansa on a Swaraj 855 tractor with 1 kg of heroin concealed inside a speaker box fitted to its canopy. In Amritsar, the police arrested five accused and claimed to have recovered around 3.25 kg of heroin, 13 illegal pistols and a BMW allegedly used in the network.

According to Rajesh Kaushal, a senior officer of Moga, the three accused had reached there from Mansa and were waiting in the New Grain Market to deliver the heroin.

"The accused had hidden 1 kg of heroin inside a speaker box fitted to the tractor canopy," Kaushal said. The police identified the arrested accused as Jarnail Singh, Balram Kumar alias Babblu and Heera Lal alias Heera. 

During interrogation, the police allegedly found that Harpal Singh alias Babbu was operating the network through his father and other associates. He has 22 criminal cases registered against him, they said.

In Amritsar, Police Commissioner Harmanbir Singh Gill said five accused were arrested with 13 illegal pistols, including eight PX3 pistols, around 3.25 kg of heroin and a BMW. 

"The investigation has revealed that the accused were in contact with Pakistan-based smugglers and the consignment of weapons and drugs had allegedly been brought into India through drones," Gill said. 

He said the accused allegedly used the BMW to transport drugs and weapons and had placed fake registration documents and four to five different number plates on the vehicle to avoid suspicion during checking.

The two cases offer a striking contrast in how vehicles were allegedly used in the drug trade. While the Moga accused allegedly relied on an agricultural tractor and a speaker box to conceal heroin, the Amritsar network allegedly used a luxury BMW to move drugs and weapons. 
Gill said the Amritsar accused were allegedly linked to gangsters Jordan and Keshav Shivala. The police are also probing the names of three others who were allegedly supposed to receive the weapons.

Investigations in both cases are on to trace the wider supply networks, sources of the consignments and their financial links.