Punjab: Army deserter linked to narco-terror module held with grenade

Chandigarh, Dec 20 (PTI) The Punjab Police has apprehended an army deserter with 500 grams of heroin and a hand grenade, a top officer said on Saturday.

Rajbir Singh, alias Fauji, was held from Raxaul town located near the Indo-Nepal border in Motihari, Bihar, when he was attempting to flee the country via Nepal, DGP Gaurav Yadav said.

The development came close on the heels of the arrest of his associate, identified as Chirag, a resident of Kashi Ram Colony in Fazilka, and the recovery of 407 grams of heroin, along with one 9MM pistol from his possession.

He was operating as a courier for the accused, Fauji, and played a significant role in channelising the proceeds of drug trafficking back to him, thereby acting as a crucial link in the narcotics supply chain, the DGP said.

According to Yadav, preliminary investigation revealed that Fauji joined the Army in 2011 and deserted in February 2025 after he and his associates were booked in an espionage case, registered under the Official Secrets Act at the Gharinda police station in Amritsar (Rural) earlier this year.

Investigation further established the role of both the accused in the conspiracy behind the grenade attack on a women's police station in Sirsa, Haryana, the DGP said, adding that Fauji and Chirag had delivered the hand grenades to Gurjant Singh, from Amritsar Rural.

Singh has since been arrested by the Haryana Police. He also channelised financial assistance through Chirag, Yadav said/ The funds provided to Gurjant were further passed on to the assailants and were utilised for carrying out the said grenade attack, he added.

Further investigation is underway to establish forward and backward linkages in this case, Yadav said.

Assistant Inspector General (AIG) D Sudarvizhi said the probe also revealed that in 2022, Fauji came in contact with some Pakistan-based entities through social media, and in lieu of access to heroin consignments, he began supplying sensitive and confidential military information and introduced other Army personnel to these handlers.

Following the registration of the case, Fauji absconded and used Nepal as a hideout, frequently moving between Punjab and Nepal, and continued his drug trafficking operations, she said.

The AIG said Fauji further disclosed that his Pakistan-based handlers were facilitating his escape from India to Europe via Nepal. After obtaining a transit remand, the accused was brought to Punjab, she added. PTI CHS PRK PRK