Chandigarh: Sandeep Singh, also known as Chatha, a resident of Rasulpur Rohi in Amritsar district, was detained by the Chandigarh zonal unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in coordination with Punjab Police’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF). The detention, under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PITNDPS) Act, follows sustained investigative efforts against the notorious drug trafficker.
Chatha, who will be held in Burail Jail, Chandigarh, is the fourth member of his syndicate to be detained outside Punjab. Earlier, associates Akshay Chabra and Jaspal Goldy were held in Dibrugarh, Assam, while Jaggu was detained elsewhere.
According to NCB officials, Chatha has been involved in seven criminal cases since 2013, including three NDPS cases. His first arrests for drug trafficking date back to 2017-18 by Tarn Taran and Amritsar Police. Despite repeated arrests, he expanded his operations, managing cross-border heroin consignments and large-scale illicit trade.
In a major 2022 crackdown, the NCB Chandigarh Zonal Unit arrested Chatha, dismantled two illicit laboratories, and seized 40 kg of heroin, 0.557 kg of opium, 23.645 kg of caffeine, and chemicals used for heroin processing. Additionally, 31 live cartridges and a magazine were recovered, and 22 syndicate members were arrested.
Investigations revealed that Chatha transported 120 kg of raw heroin from Ludhiana to Muzaffarnagar and handled high-volume heroin consignments across multiple states. During financial probes, movable and immovable assets worth Rs 58.6 crore were frozen, including Rs 34.77 lakh in illegally acquired properties.
The NCB also exposed Chatha’s connections with Jagdeep Singh aka Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, a notorious criminal supplying weapons and narcotics from Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab, Delhi, and Haryana. Both had been previously arrested together in 2017 for heroin possession.
To curb Chatha’s activities, the NCB sought preventive detention under the PITNDPS Act in September 2025. Following approval from the Central government, a detention order was issued on 27 November 2025, and Chatha was served with the order on 7 January 2026.
