The counter-intelligence wing has busted an illegal arms smuggling network with the arrest of two individuals and recovered 10 sophisticated pistols along with magazines and 10 cartridges from their possession, director general of police Gaurav Yadav said on Sunday.
Those arrested were identified as Gurpreet Singh, son of Iqbal Singh and Gurpreet Singh, son of Gulzar Singh, both residents of Hawellian village in Tarn Taran.
The recovered weapons include nine 9mm pistols and one .30-bore pistol. The motorcycle being used to transport the consignments was also impounded, police said.
DGP Yadav said a preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were allegedly in contact with a foreign-based handler and receiving illegal arms consignments from across the border for further supply to other parties in Punjab.
Sharing operational details, the DGP said that police teams from CI-Amritsar acted on reliable input that two suspects had received a large consignment of weapons by drone in the area of Hawellian village, situated near the Indo-Pakistan border fencing, on the instructions of their foreign-based handler. The tip-off further said the duo was expected to deliver the consignment to another party.
“Acting swiftly, police teams apprehended both the accused near Khasa village on the Amritsar–Attari GT road. Ten sophisticated pistols, along with magazines and cartridges, were recovered from their possession,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“Acting swiftly, police teams apprehended both the accused near Khasa village on the Amritsar–Attari GT road. Ten sophisticated pistols, along with magazines and cartridges, were recovered from their possession,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}The DGP said further investigation is underway to establish the complete forward and backward linkages in this case, identify other accomplices and uncover the wider cross-border smuggling network.
A case under Sections 25, 25 (1)(A) and 25 (8) of the Arms Act and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at the police station State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar, officials said.