The arrest of Jashandeep Kaur with 9 kg of heroin, allegedly smuggled from Pakistan, on Jattvibeday has once again brought into focus the increasing involvement of women in cross-border drug trafficking.“The woman, who was arrested by the Gharinda police, is the daughter-in-law of a notorious drug smuggler, Gurnam Singh,” said Amandeep Singh, SHO, Gharinda police station.Arrests made so farIn 2025, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police arrested three women in separate cases linked to the cross-border drug smuggling.In March 2025, the city police arrested Mandeep Kaur and recovered 5.2 kg of heroin while busting a cross-border drug trafficking module. In another major operation, Kuljit Kaur and Rajbir Kaur, both residents of Bharopal village, were arrested with 2 kg of heroin and 10 pistols, exposing the nexus between narcotics and illegal arms smuggling.While the reports of women allegedly having been involved in local street-level drug peddling in Punjab are not new, their alleged participation in cross-border smuggling operations is a relatively recent phenomenon that has increasingly come to the fore over the past two years.According to the police, Pakistan-backed drug syndicates are increasingly using women as couriers to store or transport narcotics consignments dropped by drones. Women are also allegedly being used to temporarily store the recovered heroin before it is handed over to the next link in the trafficking chain. The police believe smugglers perceive women are less likely to attract suspicion during transportation and storage of contraband.The trend has been evident in Amritsar over the past two years. In 2025, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police arrested three women in separate cases linked to the cross-border drug smuggling.In March 2025, the city police arrested Mandeep Kaur and recovered 5.2 kg of heroin while busting a cross-border drug trafficking module. In another major operation, Kuljit Kaur and Rajbir Kaur, both residents of Bharopal village, were arrested with 2 kg of heroin and 10 pistols, exposing the nexus between narcotics and illegal arms smuggling.The trend continued in 2026. In April, the city Police arrested Jasbir Kaur, an alleged associate of notorious drug smuggler Ranjit Singh, alias Cheeta.Investigators say these arrests indicate a shift in the modus operandi of cross-border drug syndicates.Instead of relying solely on male operatives, traffickers are increasingly recruiting women to collect, transport and conceal consignments of heroin and, in some cases, illegal arms, making it more challenging for enforcement agencies to detect the networks.The latest seizure of 9 kg of heroin by the Amritsar Rural Police further underscores the evolving tactics adopted byPakistan-backed narcotics smugglers operating along the border.