Army Soldier Among Seven Held in Amritsar as Police Bust Four Smuggling Networksਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਸਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਫੌਜੀ ਸਮੇਤ 7 ਗ੍ਰਿਫ਼ਤਾਰ, ਚਾਰ ਤਸਕਰੀ ਨੈੱਟਵਰਕ ਫੜੇ ਗਏ

Amritsar Rural Police have busted four separate illegal arms and narcotics supply networks in a series of operations in the border district, arresting seven people and recovering 14 sophisticated pistols and 20.130 kg of heroin, Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Tuesday, 27 October 2026. Among those arrested is a serving Army soldier who was home on leave. The DGP said the action was part of the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state. Mirror Now, reporting the same operations, put the recoveries at 14 pistols and more than 20 kg of heroin for the Rural Police operations. The allegations in the case are those of the police and have not been tested in court.

Who was arrested?

Police identified the arrested men as Uday, 19, and Patras, 19, both residents of Mastgarh in Tarn Taran district; Army soldier Yudhvir Singh, 22, a resident of Ranike village; Sajan Singh, 19, and Sahilpreet, 20, both residents of Naraingarh; Jarmanjot Singh, 20, a resident of Sialka village; and Sahibnoor Singh, 21, a resident of Jujhar Singh Nagar in Batala. Yadav said preliminary investigation suggests the accused were in contact with a foreign-based handler who was facilitating illegal arms consignments for further distribution among criminal elements through an organised network. Further investigation is under way to uncover the complete network and establish its backward and forward linkages, he said.

How did the four operations unfold?

Inspector General of Police, Border Range, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that in the first operation, teams from Gharinda police station, acting on specific inputs, intercepted Uday and Patras as they were going towards Khemkaran after retrieving a drone-dropped consignment of 10 pistols, including one 9 mm pistol and nine .30 bore pistols. Preliminary investigation suggests the duo had previously retrieved and supplied at least 20 to 25 consignments of weapons, he said. In the second operation, a joint team of CIA Amritsar Rural and the Gharinda station house officer apprehended Yudhvir Singh and recovered one .30 bore pistol from him.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Amritsar Rural, Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal said that in the third operation, Gharinda police teams, acting on reliable inputs, intercepted Sajan Singh and Sahilpreet and recovered the heroin haul of 20.130 kg from their possession. In the fourth operation, a joint team led by the incharge of the Special Cell, Amritsar Rural, and the Kathu Nangal station house officer apprehended Jarmanjot Singh and Sahibnoor Singh and recovered two pistols from them.

What did police say about the soldier?

Bhullar said Yudhvir Singh had come home on leave when the joint team apprehended him. He said the soldier had earlier been arrested in an Arms Act case, and that a detailed report on his alleged involvement in cross-border smuggling is being sent to senior Army authorities. Mirror Now also reported that a formal report on his alleged involvement is being forwarded to senior military authorities and that he had previously faced charges under the Arms Act.

Which cases have been registered?

Police said four separate cases have been registered in connection with the operations: FIR Nos. 458 and 459, dated 26 October 2026, under Section 25 of the Arms Act, and FIR No. 460, dated 27 October 2026, under Section 21 of the NDPS Act, all at Gharinda police station; and FIR No. 191, dated 23 October 2026, under Section 25 of the Arms Act at Kathu Nangal police station. Police said the recovered weapons and heroin were meant for further distribution among criminal elements, and that the investigation continues.

How much heroin and how many pistols were recovered in Amritsar?

Police said the four Rural Police operations together recovered 20.130 kg of heroin and 14 sophisticated pistols, including a 10-pistol drone-dropped consignment intercepted near Gharinda.

Who is the Army soldier arrested in the Amritsar bust?

Police identified him as Yudhvir Singh, 22, of Ranike village, who was home on leave. Police said one .30 bore pistol was recovered from him and a report is being sent to senior Army authorities.

How many people were arrested in the Amritsar operations?

Seven people were arrested across the four operations, in cases registered at Gharinda and Kathu Nangal police stations under the Arms Act and the NDPS Act.