Busting an inter-state gunrunning module reportedly backed by a US-based handler, the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, has arrested two persons and seized 10 .32-bore country-made pistols, along with 20 magazines and ammunition, said director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Sunday.
Those arrested have been identified as Satnam Singh, alias Prince, a resident of Buttar Kalan in Batala, and Manjit Singh, a resident of Bhagi Nangal in Batala. Yadav said preliminary investigations revealed that Satnam, alias Prince, was in touch with his US-based handler, identified as Sunny Masih, alias Gulli, wanted in multiple heroin smuggling cases. Satnam involved his relative Manjit into drug peddling and transportation of illegal weapons, he said.
DGP Yadav said investigations also revealed that the accused were procuring illegal weapons from Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand on the directions of their USA-based handler to further supply them to Punjab-based gangsters. He said further investigations would establish the backward and forward linkages to unearth the entire network of this module.
Sharing more details, SSOC-Amritsar AIG Sukhminder Singh Mann said sleuths had received a secret information that Sunny Masih, alias Gulli, a native of Dhianpur in Gurdaspur and currently residing in USA, had been running the inter-state weapon smuggling module in the state with the help of his associates.
{{/usCountry}}Sharing more details, SSOC-Amritsar AIG Sukhminder Singh Mann said sleuths had received a secret information that Sunny Masih, alias Gulli, a native of Dhianpur in Gurdaspur and currently residing in USA, had been running the inter-state weapon smuggling module in the state with the help of his associates.
{{/usCountry}}He said that during questioning, Satnam revealed that Sunny Masih used to pay him courier charges on per delivery basis. The accused also revealed that around one month ago, he smuggled four weapons from MP to Punjab for which he was paid ₹10,000 and for the current delivery, Sunny had promised him to pay ₹20,000.
According to the AIG, Satnam has a criminal history with at least three cases registered under the NDPS Act. The latter was released on bail on July 30.
An FIR (number 70) has been registered under Sections 25, 25 (6) and 25 (7) of the Arms Act and Sections 111 and 61 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the SSOC-Amritsar police station.
In another case, the Amritsar rural police arrested eight suspects linked to UK-based handler Dharma Sandhu and seized 4.5-kg heroin, two Glock pistols (9mm), two pistols (.30 bore), a pistol (.32 bore), 1 Zigana pistol (.30 bore), 16 live cartridges and ₹1.5-lakh drug money, DGP Gaurav Yadav said on Sunday. An FIR under the NDPS and the Arms Act has been registered at the Gharinda police station in Amritsar. An Investigation is being carried out to establish the backward and forward linkages, the police said.