13 august 2024 : For the first time under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the Punjab Police have transferred a drug smuggler to Dibrugarh Jail in Assam.
On Tuesday, Gaurav Yadav, the Director General of Police for Punjab, announced via a post on X that Balwinder Singh, also known as Billa, was apprehended during a collaborative operation involving the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Punjab Police. Singh was arrested under Section 3(1) of the NDPS Act.
In his statement, Yadav indicated that Singh “will be incarcerated in Dibrugarh jail for the duration of his detention.” Singh has over ten registered cases under the NDPS Act against him and was previously out on bail. He is linked to cross-border drug smuggling operations in collaboration with Pakistani traffickers.
This case marks a significant precedent in Punjab, as it is the first instance of an individual being detained under the NDPS Act and subsequently transferred to another state.
Amritpal Singh, the leader of Warris Punjab De, along with his supporters, has been held in Dibrugarh jail for over a year under the National Security Act (NSA).
According to law enforcement officials, Balwinder Singh has established direct ties with smugglers in Pakistan. He has been arrested multiple times by the Special Task Force of the Amritsar police and the Mohali police, with 2 to 3 kilograms of heroin typically recovered in most of the cases against him.