The counter-intelligence (CI), Amritsar, team busted a cross-border narcotics and illegal arms smuggling module with links to Pakistan and arrested its three alleged operatives, a senior police officer said on Wednesday.
The police recovered eight sophisticated weapons, 1kg heroin and ₹2.9 lakh drug money from their possession, Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said here on Wednesday.
Those arrested have been identified as Sarabjit Singh, a resident of Saanke village in Ferozepur, Kulwinder Singh, a resident of Langiana village in Ferozepur and Ashmandeep Singh, a resident of Railway Road in Tarn Taran.
“The recovered weapons, include three 9mm Glock pistols, three .30-bore Chinese pistols and two .30-bore PX-5 pistols. Police teams have also recovered a currency counting machine from their possession, besides, impounding their motorcycle (PB05-AT-1664) being used for transporting the consignments,” the DGP said.
Yadav said preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused were acting under the directions of a Pakistan-based smuggler identified as Sikandar Noor, a resident of Manihala in Pakistan, who has been using drones to drop weapon consignments from across the border.
The arrested accused were further distributing the arms to gangsters across Punjab with the intention to fuel criminal activities in the state, he said.
{{/usCountry}}The arrested accused were further distributing the arms to gangsters across Punjab with the intention to fuel criminal activities in the state, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Sharing operation details, the DGP said that CI-Amritsar received specific intelligence about the retrieval of weapons and narcotics consignments from near Indo-Pak border areas falling under the jurisdiction of districts Ferozepur and Tarn Taran.
“Acting swiftly, police teams intercepted and apprehended three persons from near Railway Road in Tarn Taran, when they were going to deliver the consignment on their motorcycle and recovered illegal weapons and narcotics from their possession,” he added.
The DGP said further investigations are underway to establish backwards and forward linkages in this case and unearth the entire network.
A case under sections 21, 25, 27-A and 29 of the NDPS Act, 25 of the Arms Act has been registered at the police station state special operation cell, Amritsar, the top cop added.