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3 terrorist Landa aides held with 17 pistols in Jalandhar
The police said with the arrest of the accused, an inter-state weapon smuggling network has been busted and weapons that were procured through hawala money were also recovered.
The Jalandhar police arrested three associates of terrorist Lakhbir Singh Landa and recovered 17 weapons and 33 magazines from their possession.
The police said with the arrest of the accused, an inter-state weapon smuggling network has been busted and weapons that were procured through hawala money were also recovered.
Commissioner of police Swapan Sharma said the seven-day operation was based on a tip-off. He said a trap was laid and accused Kunal, Gurlal and Parvez were nabbed.
One of the accused, Kunal, is a resident of Ferozepur and seven cases under the Arms Act, for attempt to murder and drug smuggling are pending against him and the other accused Gurlal and Parvez of Patti in Tarn Taran district are cousins and are in early 20s.
The commissioner of police said during investigation, it has come to light that weapons were supplied by Indore-based youth also identified as Kunal.
“Gurlal’s brother Sharanjit, who is currently in jail, is closely associated with US-based gangsters Lakhbir Singh Landa and Gurdev Gill, who are involved in extortion and terror activities,” he said.
The officer said both Landa and Gill are handlers of this racket and Kunal of Indore was paid by them through Hawala channel to procure country-made arms.
Police have recovered 12 .32 bore pistols, five .34 bore pistols, 33 magazines and 20 live cartridge. He said these weapons, seized from different locations in Tarn Taran and Ferozepur, were meant for the associates of Landa spanning in districts of Moga, Ferozepur and Tarn Taran.
Who is Lakhbir Landa?
Lakhbir Singh Landa, a resident of Tarn Taran in Punjab, is believed to be residing in Edmonton in Alberta in Canada. Landa has been designated as a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
A close aide of Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terrorist Harvinder Singh, alias Rinda, Landa fled to Canada in 2017 and joined hands with the pro-Khalistan terror organisation Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). According to a notification issued by Home Ministry, Landa was also closely associated with Canada-based pro-Khalistan elements (PKEs), including deceased Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Sikhs for Justice leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun among others.
Landa was also key conspirator of the Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) attack at the Punjab Police intelligence headquarters in Mohali, besides planting an improvised explosive device (IED) under a sub-inspector’s car in Amritsar.
