Amritsar Police have arrested eight people in an alleged cross-border smuggling network that used drones to move illegal arms and narcotics, officials said on 30 October 2026. The operation, according to the Amritsar Commissionerate Police, led to the recovery of 11 pistols, four live cartridges and 2.293 kg of heroin.
Amritsar Commissioner of Police Harmanbir Singh Gill said the arrests followed a tip-off. The police commissionerate alleged that the suspects were in direct contact with handlers and smugglers operating from Pakistan. The investigation is continuing, and the allegations have not been tested in court.
“The arrested individuals were in direct contact with Pakistani handlers and smugglers operating from across the border,” Harmanbir Singh Gill, Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, said.
Police describe alleged network
According to the police, the group coordinated deliveries through Instagram and was involved in a cross-border drone-linked supply chain. The preliminary investigation indicated that foreign-based handlers allegedly facilitated the supply of weapons for distribution among criminal elements, the police said.
The eight arrested suspects were identified as Karandeep Singh, 24; Karan Singh, 19; Karandeep Singh, 20; Angraj Singh, 28; Rahul alias Shaani, 30; Manpreet Singh, 22; Kapil, 31; and Nikhil Gill, 27. Police said they were from Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts.
- Eight people were arrested, according to Amritsar Police.
- 11 pistols and four live cartridges were recovered.
- Police also seized 2.293 kg of heroin.
- Three FIRs were registered at Chheharta and A-Division police stations in Amritsar.
Further investigation under way
Police said Angraj, Kapil and Nikhil had criminal backgrounds, with cases registered against them under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Arms Act. The registration of cases and the arrests are investigative steps; they do not by themselves establish guilt.
The Amritsar Commissionerate said investigators were examining the alleged backward and forward linkages of the network, including the identities of other people who may have been involved. The case highlights the use of drones in cross-border trafficking allegations in Punjab, where agencies have previously treated the movement of weapons and narcotics as a joint law-enforcement and border-security concern. In this case, however, the claims about the network’s wider structure remain subject to the ongoing investigation.
