The Counter Intelligence (CI), Amritsar, has arrested four persons, including a juvenile, with 36 kg heroin after busting a cross-border drug smuggling network operating along the international border.The accused were allegedly acting on the directions of a foreign-based handler and had retrieved a drone-dropped consignment of heroin from the Lopoke border area before setting out to deliver it to another party, DGP Gaurav Yadav said on Friday.The arrested have been identified as Sahil Singh of Ghanupur and Paramjeet Singh and Kamalpal Singh, both residents of Rajasansi. Paramjeet has three cases registered against him under the NDPS Act.According to the DGP, the CI team had received specific information that the suspects had collected a large consignment of heroin from the border area and were likely to hand it over to another party along the Amritsar-Lopoke road.Acting on the input, a police team intercepted them near the Bharatmala Highway bridge and seized 36 kg heroin. Two motorcycles allegedly used for transporting the contraband were also impounded.Preliminary investigation has revealed that the foreign-based handler was facilitating the delivery of heroin consignments near the international border and using local operatives to distribute them further, the DGP said.The latest recovery comes amid a spate of major narcotics and arms seizures in the Amritsar border belt. In a separate crackdown, the Amritsar Rural police recently arrested 16 persons and recovered around 34 kg of heroin during multiple operations in the past three days. The total contraband seized from the Amritsar border belt by various wings of the Punjab Police has now reached over 790 kg in 2026.The police are now investigating the forward and backward linkages to identify the foreign-based handler, suppliers and intended recipients of the latest consignment.A case under Sections 21, 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act has been registered at the State Special Operation Cell police station, the police said.