CHANDIGARH: In two separate operations, the Punjab Police seized eight pistols and drugs and arrested seven accused.
In the first operation, police dismantled a cross-border, Madhya Pradesh-linked illegal arms supply module. Three accused were arrested, and six pistols were recovered.
In another operation, police busted an inter-state, foreign-linked narcotics and illegal arms module. Four operatives were arrested, and 9.925 kg of heroin, two .30 bore foreign-made pistols, eight magazines and 40 live cartridges were seized.
Director General of Police, Punjab Gaurav Yadav said that those arrested have been identified as Manjinder Singh alias Sonu, a resident of Pathralian village in Hoshiarpur; Shivam Bhandari, a resident of Dhina in Jalandhar; Sahil Masih alias Monu of Pakhoke Tahli village in Gurdaspur; and Ramel Roger of Garhshankar in Hoshiarpur.
Yadav said preliminary investigations revealed that the arrested accused were in direct contact with foreign-based gangsters and acted as local handlers, facilitating drug trafficking and the supply of illegal weapons in the region.
He said that further investigation is underway to establish forward and backward linkages in this case to dismantle the entire network.
Sharing operational details, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Hoshiarpur Sandeep Kumar Malik said that following a reliable input, police teams have set up a special checkpoint (nakabandi) in the jurisdiction of Garhshankar.
During the operation, an i-20 car was intercepted on suspicion, leading to the arrest of four accused and the recovery of heroin and weapons from the vehicle, he said.
Malik further said that one of the arrested accused, Sahil Masih, is a habitual offender and is also involved in firing at a police party in District Batala.
More arrests and recoveries are likely in the coming days as the investigation progresses, he added.
In this regard, a case has been registered under sections 21 and 29 of the NDPS Act and section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Garhshankar in Hoshiarpur.
In another operation, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police has dismantled a cross-border and MP-based illegal arms supply module with the arrest of three accused persons and recovered six pistols from their possession.
Yadav said that those arrested have been identified as Deepak Singh alias Deepu (22), a resident of Kashmir Avenue in Amritsar; Arun Kumar alias Sabu (26), a resident of Narayangarh in Amritsar; and Sukhjinder Singh alias Sukha (29), a resident of Rehana Jattan in Kapurthala.
The police also recovered pistols, including one .30 bore PX5, three .32 bore and two .30 bore pistols, along with seven live cartridges.
He said that the preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested accused were procuring illegal weapons from Madhya Pradesh. The accused were also in contact with a Pak-based smuggler through social media platforms, who was facilitating the supply of illegal weapons through drones and coordinating distribution through local handlers, he said, while adding that the network was actively operating in the Majha and Doaba regions.
Yadav said that further investigation is underway to establish forward and backward linkages in this case to dismantle the entire network.
Sharing operational details, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that in a targeted operation based on secret information, police teams initially arrested Deepak alias Deepu and recovered one pistol from his possession, while another two pistols were recovered from a location pinpointed by him.
On his disclosure, his two accomplices identified as Arun alias Sabu and Sukhjinder alias Sukha were also arrested and three pistols were recovered from their possession, he added.
He said that preliminary investigation has also revealed that the accused had procured these illegal weapons to execute a major criminal act, which has been successfully averted due to timely police action.
Accused Deepak alias Deepu and Arun alias Sabu have a previous criminal involvement in cases pertaining to attempt to murder, theft and other serious offences, he added.
A case under section 25 of the Arms Act has been registered at Police Station Civil Lines in Amritsar.