E-Paper
2 gangsters held with 3 pistols, other weapons in Jalandhar
One of those held Gurpreet Singh alias Gora, already faces criminal charges in 14 cases of attempt to murder, assault, snatching, dacoity, gang war and others across the state and is a PO in 13 of these cases
Jalandhar Rural police busted a gang of international arms smugglers and highway robbers, with the arrest of two gangsters, Gurpreet Singh alias Gora, and Germanjeet Singh. Gora had been declared a proclaimed offender (PO) and the gang was involved in smuggling of weapons from across the border into India.
They were arrested from Bhogpur and police recovered a bullet proof jacket, a .455 bore pistol, two Glock 09 mm pistols with four cartridges, one pump action 12 bore rifle, one .32 bore revolver, one .30 bore pistol and live cartridges, DGP Dinkar Gupta said. The Verna car they were on was also seized.
Gora already faces criminal charges in 14 cases of attempt to murder, assault, snatching, dacoity, gang war and others across the state and is a PO in 13 of these cases.
Jalandhar Rural SSP Navjot Mahal said the police had got a tip-off that Gora of Bariar village, and his aide German Jeet Singh of Jawandpur village, were going towards Behram in a Verna car (PB 46 Q 4951) and were planning to commit some heinous crime, such as snatching vehicles from highway at gunpoint.
Gupta added Gurpreet’s additional disclosure before police led to the additional recovery of 12 bore pump action rifle with five cartridges, two 9mm Glock Pistols (Made in Austria) with two live rounds (etched with Pakistan Ordinance Factory markings), one revolver .455 bore with five live rounds, 19 rounds of .32 bore revolver and eight rounds of .32 bore special revolver. All these weapons were packed in a plastic pipe and buried in earth on canal bank near Rayyia (Amritsar).
The DGP added during preliminary interrogation Gora revealed that he was in close contact with Baljinder Singh Billa Mandiala, who has links with Pakistan-based drug and arms smugglers, Mirza and Ahmdeen, and had received many consignments of weapons and drugs from them in the Ferozpur area. Gupta added Pakistani drug/arms smuggler Mirza had been working as courier on Indo-Pak border for Khalistan Libration Force and had smuggled many weapons to Indian territory. It has also been learned that a part of 5 AK-47 weapon consignment recovered from the Indo-Pak border on September 24, 2019 by STF Punjab, was also meant for this apprehended criminal Mandiala.
The DGP added Gurpreet Singh was a member of Billa gang run by another notorious gangster Baljinder Singh alias Billa, currently lodged in jail. Through his mentor, Gora was in touch with Pakistan-based illegal arms smugglers. Having managed to secure bail in previous cases, Gora had now been putting up at a gurdwara in Nanded in a clandestine manner.
A case under Sections 392 (robbery), 212 (harbouring offender), 216-A (harbouring robbers or dacoits), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and 25, 27 Arms Act has been registered against gangsters at Bhogpur police station, SSP Mahal said.
