Amritsar (Punjab) [India], February 22 (ANI): In a significant breakthrough, Punjab Police's Counter Intelligence (CI) unit in Amritsar recovered an additional two kg of heroin, bringing the total seizure in the 10 kg heroin recovery case to 15 kg, said a statement from Information And Public Relations Department, Punjab on Saturday.

The contraband was found concealed near a canal in village Boparai Baj Singh, based on a disclosure statement made by accused Harmandeep Singh.

Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, confirmed the recovery on Saturday, highlighting the force's ongoing crackdown on drug trafficking in the state.

The development came a few days after the Punjab Police had busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket with the arrest of a drug smuggler, Harmandeep Singh, of village Ghumanpura in Amritsar, and recovered 10 kg heroin from his possession.

This is the second major recovery made on the disclosures of accused Harmandeep. Pertinently, Police teams had also arrested Harmandeep's accomplice, identified as Lovepreet Singh, after recovering three kg of heroin from his possession.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that during the investigation of further forward-backwards linkages, accused Harmandeep made another disclosure statement that he had concealed an additional two kgs of heroin under a brick placed alongside the canal near village Boparai Baj Singh on the Khurmanian to Ram Tirath Link Road.

Acting on this lead, teams from CI Amritsar have managed to recover the two kg heroin consignment from the pinpointed location shared by the accused, he said.

The DGP said that the recovered heroin is part of a larger consignment smuggled from Pakistan with the assistance of a Pak-based smuggler identified as Chacha Bawa, who used drones to transport the drugs across the border.

He added that further investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend other associates involved in the network.

A case had been registered under sections 21, 25, and 29 of the NDPS Act at Police Station State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Amritsar. Further recoveries are expected as the investigation progresses. (ANI)