Police in Indian state of Punjab have busted an “international drug smuggling cartel” by arresting nine people and seizing 22 kilograms of opium, the Director General of Police (DGP) said on Sunday.
Gaurav Yadav, the DGP of Punjab Police, said in a statement that five foreign based "entities" in the United States, United Kingdom (UK), Australia and Canada were linked to the drugs smuggling cartel.
The police official also alleged the involvement of six Indian custom officials in the narcotics' racket.
“Apart from the backward and forward linkages, police teams have frozen 30 bank accounts with high value transfers of over $1 million of drug money,” Yadav revealed.
He said that police have also identified 12 properties bought from the "proceeds of the drug money".
"Punjab Police is fully committed to destroy the drug network, as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann," stated Yadav.
In recent months, the Indian government has actively taken up its concerns regarding the involvement of West-based pro-Khalistan groups in drugs trafficking and smuggling with the governments of the US, UK and Canada among others.