India, Jan. 30 -- The Navi Mumbai Police have arrested the alleged kingpin of a drug trafficking syndicate operating between Punjab and Maharashtra following an operation spanning several months. The accused, Saheb Singh alias Sabha Joginder Singh, was apprehended in Amritsar on January 26 with heroin worth Rs.7 lakh, officials aware of the matter told Hindustan Times.

Saheb Singh was the main supplier and coordinator of the inter-state syndicate; he controlled the supply of heroin from Punjab and accepted online payments directly into his bank account, bypassing local peddlers, police officers said.

"Tracing the kingpin proved challenging as he frequently changed mobile phones to evade surveillance. He had managed to escape thrice when...