Batala, April 12 -- Punjab Police have busted a cross-border drug and illegal arms smuggling racket with the arrest of three persons, including a juvenile, and seized 6.5 kg of heroin, a .30-calibre pistol with six live cartridges, and Rs.1 lakh in suspected drug money, director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Saturday. Those arrested have been identified as Nishan Singh of Mulianwal in Batala, Ravipal Singh of Raipur and a juvenile. Apart from recovering contraband and drug money, police teams also impounded an SUV. The arrests came following interrogation of two persons - Vansh and Sukhchain, alias Jashan - who were arrested in connection with an extortion-related firing incident that took place under the jurisdiction of the Batala civil lines police station on March 30. Police had recovered two .30-bore pistols from their possession. The DGP said the recovery of drugs and weapons highlighted a strong nexus between extortion, drug trafficking and illegal arms networks. Preliminary investigation had revealed that weapons were being supplied to operatives within the network, he said. Deputy inspector general of police (DIG), border range, Sandeep Goel said a probe had revealed that the arrested persons were acting on the directions of their foreign-based handler. Further investigation was underway to dismantle the entire network, he added. Sharing operational details, Batala senior superintendent of police (SSP) Mehtab Singh said during interrogation, accused Vansh and Sukhchain disclosed that they had received weapons from suspects - one a juvenile and the other identified as Ravipal. Following their disclosures, police teams arrested Ravipal and his juvenile accomplice, who confessed to coordinating the smuggling of weapons and drugs. "Ravipal revealed that he had delivered a consignment to Nishan Singh on the directions of their overseas handler," said the SSP, adding that acting on this lead, police teams intercepted Nishan's SUV near Kamla Devi Avenue in Amritsar and arrested him, leading to the recovery of 6.5 kg heroin, a .30-calibre pistol along with 6 live rounds, and Rs.1 lakh drug money from his possession. A case under Sections 109 and 3 (5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act has been already registered at the civil lines police station in Batala, police said....