Punjab police arrest drug cartel member, seize ₹22L

Police in Punjab have made significant progress in dismantling a drug and money laundering syndicate. On Thursday, they arrested Iqbal Singh, who is linked to the cartel. During the operation, the police seized ₹12 lakh in drug money, a pistol, and four live rounds. This arrest is part of a larger investigation that began on March 17, when police engaged in an encounter with cartel members. During that incident, two suspects were injured after they opened fire on officers. So far, five members of the cartel have been detained. Authorities also seized additional evidence, including ₹10 lakh from Satnam Singh, another arrested member. In total, police recovered about ₹23.10 lakh in drug money, 7 kg of opium, three pistols, and a currency counting machine from the suspects. According to police, Iqbal Singh admitted to transferring ₹50 crore over the past three months to facilitate cross-border drug smuggling. The police have filed charges against the suspects under various acts related to narcotics and firearms.