Punjab Police Arrests International Drug Smuggler Simranjot Singh Sandhu
Chandigarh [India], August 10: Punjab Police, working with central agencies, has captured Simranjot Singh Sandhu, an international drug smuggler wanted by German police for a 487 kg cocaine smuggling case in 2020. This major breakthrough is part of an ongoing drive against drugs initiated by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.
Details of the Arrest
Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, announced that Sandhu, aged 30, was apprehended following meticulous investigations by Moga Police. The investigations began after the arrest of local drug smugglers Beant Singh and Sukhdeep Singh, who were caught with 1 kg of heroin on June 16, 2024. Their statements led to the identification of Mandeep Singh, based in the USA, and Simranjot Singh Sandhu, who was allegedly seeking buyers for heroin in Punjab.
Background of Simranjot Singh Sandhu
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Headquarters Dr. Sukhchain Singh Gill, along with DIG Faridkot Range Ashwani Kapur and SSP Moga Dr. Ankur Gupta, shared more details during a press conference. Sandhu, originally from village Gokhuwal in Batala, was arrested from village Bhaloor in Moga. He had moved to Germany in 2002 and worked as a taxi driver. Between March and June 2020, he stored and transported large quantities of drugs, including 487 kg of cocaine, 66 kg of marijuana, and 10 kg of hashish, from South America to Germany.
Sandhu used an encrypted mobile app called ‘Encrochat’ to communicate, which was eventually uncovered by German police. He was convicted for 8 years and 6 months under the Narcotic Drugs Act by German courts on February 28, 2022. However, he fled to Dubai in July 2023 and then to India in September 2023.
Current Status
For the past 11 months, Sandhu had been hiding in various locations in India, including Amritsar, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, and Moga, to avoid arrest. Detailed interrogation is currently underway to verify his activities in India. A case FIR no 16-6-2024 had already been registered under section 21 of the NDPS Act at Police Station Ajitwal in Moga.
Doubts Revealed
Punjab Police -: Punjab Police is the law enforcement agency responsible for maintaining law and order in the state of Punjab, India.
International Drug Smuggler -: An international drug smuggler is someone who illegally transports drugs across different countries.
Simranjot Singh Sandhu -: Simranjot Singh Sandhu is a person who was involved in smuggling drugs and was wanted by the police in Germany.
Central Agencies -: Central agencies are organizations that work for the central government of India to help with important tasks like security and investigations.
German Police -: German Police are the law enforcement officers in Germany, a country in Europe.
487 kg cocaine -: 487 kg of cocaine is a very large amount of an illegal drug that can be harmful to people.
2020 -: 2020 is the year when the drug smuggling case happened.
Beant Singh and Sukhdeep Singh -: Beant Singh and Sukhdeep Singh are local drug smugglers in Punjab who were investigated by the police.
Convicted -: Convicted means that a court found someone guilty of a crime.
Interrogation -: Interrogation is when the police ask someone a lot of questions to find out the truth about a crime.