Punjab Police Cracks Down on International Narco-Hawala Racket

Punjab Police has dismantled a narco-hawala racket, arresting five individuals and seizing over Rs 46 lakh. The operation was linked to US-based Joban Kaler and gangster Gopi Chougawan. Police are continuing investigations to uncover the entire network involved in drug money transfers via hawala.

In a significant breakthrough, Punjab Police have successfully dismantled an intricate narco-hawala racket, resulting in the arrest of five people and the recovery of over Rs 46 lakh. The network was reportedly orchestrated by US-based drug smuggler Joban Kaler and notorious gangster Gopi Chougawan.

Key arrests include Satnam Singh, alias Sandhu, who was apprehended with one kilogram of heroin, and further led to the detainment of Rajanjot Singh, Gurpreet Singh, and Anil Saini, according to Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar. Subsequent investigations also brought Navjot Singh and Harmit Singh into police custody.

The investigation unveiled Saini's alleged use of a dry fruit business as a cover for a sophisticated hawala operation, transmitting drug funds across borders in exchange for heroin. Investigators are probing deeper to uncover the full spectrum of this illicit network, including all suppliers, dealers, and end-users.

(With inputs from agencies.)