Police arrests BSF man for helping cross-border smuggling

Mohali: Another Border Security Force (BSF) personnel has been arrested for allegedly helping drug smugglers in cross-border smuggling of drugs and ammunitions, days after a jawan from the force was arrested from Rajasthan on same charges, a senior police official said here on Tuesday.

The BSF jawan has been identified as Havildar Prem Singh, and was arrested yesterday from his village Naushera Dhalla in Tarn Taran district, said Mohali SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar.

Singh's alleged involvement came to light following the questioning of a drug smuggler, Gurjant Singh alias Bholu, who along with his two associates was arrested by the police on January 4 from Kharar here.

The SSP said, during interrogation, Bholu confessed that he had got smuggled drugs and arms and ammunitions from Pakistan with the alleged help of Prem Singh, who was posted at Fazilka in year 2014.

"Two consignments which came from Pakistan included 30 kg heroin each and ammunition during August and November 2014," he said.

During the probe, it came to light that Singh allegedly used to engage his other colleagues, posted at the border, into talks in order to divert their attention from vigil and then secretly inform Bholu and his other accomplice to pick up the consignment coming from across the border, SSP said.

The BSF Havildar was given Rs 50,000, two mobile sim cards and one mobile phone by the accused, he said.

He had been posted at Assam twice, Kashmir, West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura and Fazilka (Punjab).

Exposing a nexus between security officials and drug smugglers, Mohali Police on Jaunary 9 had arrested a BSF jawan for allegedly helping drug smugglers in cross-border smuggling of drugs and ammunitions.

Last week, Punjab police had claimed to have busted a drug smuggling syndicate and arrested three persons from near here, and recovered Pakistani SIM card, mobiles, weapons and ammunition from their possession.

Besides, Bholu, two others who were arrested were Sandip Singh and Jatinder Singh alias Jindi.