Three persons, including a police constable recently deployed as a gunman with former Congress MLA and District Congress Committee (DCC) president Kulbir Singh Zira, were apprehended with 525 grams of opium during a joint operation by the Border Security Force’s (BSF) 142 Battalion and the police near the international border in Tarn Taran district on Tuesday evening.According to information, BSF personnel apprehended the accused near Border Outpost (BOP) Mangli, under the jurisdiction of Khalra police station, around 4.30 pm while they were travelling in a Mahindra Bolero (PB-03-F-0047). A subsequent search led to the recovery of 525 grams of opium from their possession.The accused were identified as Amarjit Singh, a resident of Sulyani village and a Punjab Police constable bearing belt number 1505/FZR; Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Sner Road in Zira; and Jagbir Singh of Buian village in Ferozepur district. Amarjit had reportedly been deployed as Zira’s gunman a few days earlier.Following the incident, Zira released a video message alleging that the state government and the police department had deliberately assigned the constable to his security detail as part of a plan to eliminate him in a staged encounter.Zira said his previous gunman had been unwell, following which Amarjit was assigned security duty. However, he alleged that Amarjit began showing reluctance to perform his duties barely an hour after reporting and subsequently left without informing him.The former MLA further warned that the state government and the police department would be responsible if any harm came to him. His allegations could not be independently verified.