He has more than 10 drugs cases against him.
Punjab Drug Smuggler Latest News, Billa Havelian detained: In a major development, the notorious drug smuggler Balwinder Singh has been detained under the stringent Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and sent to the Assam's Dibrugarh Jail.
It is pertinent to mention that this was the first such action against the drug menace, which aims to break the jail-based drug mafia link in the region. The initiative has been taken by the bureau in Punjab.
Under the stringent Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act, a habitual offender can be put under preventive detention for a period of one year without even bail.
According to information, Balwinder Singh alias Billa Havelian will be lodged in Assam's Dibrugarh jail, the official said.
Billa hails from the Havelian village in Tarn Taran district. He has been active in drug smuggling since 1992. He has reportedly "deep connections" with Pakistan-based drug syndicates, said the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officer.
He has more than 10 drug cases against him.
Billa was reportedly detained from Gurdaspur in a joint operation conducted by the NCB and the Punjab Police, the Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said while sharing the information.
"Detention order u/s 3(1) Prevention of Illicit Traffic in NDPS Act (PITNDPS) is being served on the detainee, who will be lodged in Dibrugarh jail during the detention period. More than 10 cases of the NDPS Act stand registered against Billa, who is presently on bail. He is involved in trans-border drug smuggling networks with Pakistani smugglers," Yadav said in a post on X.
