18 August, 2026 – Ferozepur : A crackdown on drug trafficking under Punjab’s ongoing “War Against Drugs” campaign has exposed a disturbing trend in the border belt, with Pakistan-based drug networks allegedly increasingly using college students, youth and women as couriers to evade suspicion.
In the latest case, the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) on August 10 arrested three youths named Anmolpreet Singh, 24, Anshpreet Singh, 25, and Akash Singh, 22, and seized 30 kg of heroin allegedly smuggled across the international border using a drone. Anshpreet worked as an assistant with a private architect in Ferozepur, while Anmolpreet and Akash were ITI students.
The arrests came weeks after the ANTF apprehended Jagsir Singh, alias Lovi, 21, of Badal Ke Uthar village, with 12.10 kg of heroin near Mohan Ke village on July 16. Jagsir was pursuing a diploma in electrical engineering at a private polytechnic college in Alamgarh, Abohar. On May 19, police arrested Om alias Omi, 23, with 10.125 kg of heroin in Leli Wala village. In another case, Aniket Kumar, 22, and Sumit, 23, were arrested with 2 kg of heroin and a Turkish-made .30-bore pistol.
Police investigations have also flagged the alleged use of women as couriers. More than 20 such cases have surfaced in the region recently. Among them, Amandeep Kaur was arrested with 2 grams of heroin on July 3, Seema with 4 grams on June 26, Rani with 4 grams on June 18 and Veena with 5 grams on June 11.
The Tribune