Kingpin of German Cocaine Smuggling Ring Arrested by Punjab Police

In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police, in collaboration with central agencies, apprehended Simranjot Singh Sandhu, the key figure in a 487 kg cocaine smuggling operation in Germany. Sandhu was tracked through local smugglers and had been evading capture across multiple locations in India.

In a landmark operation, Punjab Police alongside central agencies have successfully apprehended Simranjot Singh Sandhu, the mastermind behind a significant 487 kg cocaine smuggling case in Germany, as confirmed by senior police officials on Saturday.

Acting on information gathered from local drug traffickers Beant Singh and Sukhdeep Singh, who were previously caught with 1 kg of heroin, police followed the trail to arrest Sandhu. Furthermore, Mandeep Singh, another individual implicated in the case and presently in the USA, was also charged with being an accomplice.

Sandhu, described by the DGP as the lynchpin of an international drug cartel, was wanted in Germany for multiple drug-related offences. Preliminary investigations identified his substantial involvement in trafficking drugs across India and Europe. The network's activities were uncovered through encrypted communications on the 'Encrochat' app, leading to Sandhu's eventual conviction in Germany. Despite his conviction, Sandhu managed to flee to Dubai and later came to India, where he continued to evade capture for eleven months until his arrest.

(With inputs from agencies.)