In a significant crackdown, the Punjab Police on Saturday arrested an army deserter, wanted for espionage and cross-border drug smuggling, as he attempted to flee the country via Nepal. The arrest led to the recovery of 500 grams of heroin and a hand grenade.
Network of Terror Financing & Drug Trafficking Exposed
Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav stated that a team from the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) in Mohali apprehended the accused, identified as Rajbir Singh, alias Fauji, from Raxaul town in Bihar's Motihari district, located near the Indo-Nepal border. The operation has exposed a network involved in terror financing and drug trafficking with links to Pakistan.
Preliminary investigations have also established Rajbir Singh's role in the conspiracy behind the grenade attack on a women's police station in Sirsa, Haryana. The DGP revealed that Rajbir, along with an associate named Chirag, had delivered hand grenades to one Gurjant Singh from Amritsar Rural, who has since been arrested by Haryana Police.
"Rajbir also channelised financial assistance through Chirag," DGP Yadav said, adding that the funds provided to Gurjant were further passed on to the assailants to carry out the grenade attack.
The Courier Associate & Espionage Trail
This development followed the recent arrest of Rajbir's associate, Chirag, a resident of Fazilka. From Chirag, police recovered 407 grams of heroin and a 9mm pistol. Chirag acted as a courier for Rajbir and played a key role in channeling the proceeds of drug trafficking, forming a crucial link in the narcotics supply chain.
Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of SSOC, D Sudarvizhi, provided further details, stating that the probe revealed Rajbir came in contact with Pakistan-based entities through social media in 2022. In exchange for access to heroin consignments, he began supplying sensitive military information and introduced other army personnel to these handlers.
After an espionage case was registered under the Official Secrets Act at Gharinda police station in Amritsar earlier this year, Rajbir absconded. He used Nepal as a hideout, frequently moving between Punjab and the neighbouring country while continuing his drug operations. Rajbir disclosed that his Pakistan-based handlers were facilitating his escape from India to Europe via Nepal.
Army Service Record & Recent Espionage Cases in Punjab
Rajbir Singh had joined the Army in 2011. After training, he was posted to the 166 Medium Regiment, Artillery, with postings in Hyderabad, Sagar (MP), Nagrota (Jammu), and Suratgarh (Rajasthan). In 2023, his unit was in Ladakh, but due to medical unfitness, he was posted to Depot Regiment in Devlali, Maharashtra. He deserted his post in February 2025 after he and his associates were booked in the espionage case.
This incident adds to a series of recent cases involving serving Army jawans from Punjab in espionage activities. In June, Gurpreet Singh (Gopi Fauji) from Gurdaspur was arrested for allegedly sharing sensitive military information with Pakistan's ISI operatives using pen drives. A financial trail linked him to a Dubai-based facilitator.
In another case in July, Sapper Devinder Singh from Sangrur was arrested from Uri in Jammu & Kashmir for leaking classified military documents to the ISI. He was found connected to the prior case involving Gurpreet Singh, as both had met during training in 2017.
These arrests occur amid heightened counter-espionage efforts by security agencies. Investigations continue to unravel networks involving cross-border handlers, virtual numbers, and complex money transfer routes. The Punjab Police stated that further investigation is underway to establish all forward and backward linkages in Rajbir Singh's case.
