CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police on Wednesday said it has unearthed a cross-border illegal arms module linked to Pakistan-based smugglers with the arrest of two persons.
The Amritsar Commissionerate Police also recovered six sophisticated pistols and two cartridges.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the arrested accused were involved in illegal arms trafficking and supplying weapons to gangsters under the direction of foreign handlers.
Those arrested have been identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi (22), a resident of village Rattoke in Tarn Taran, and Surjit Singh (35), a resident of Chela Colony in Tarn Taran.
The latter has a criminal history with several cases registered against him.
Further investigations are ongoing to establish forward and backward linkages in this case, he said.
Sharing operation details, Amritsar Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that based on inputs about the movement of illegal weapons, police teams apprehended Gopi and seized four pistols and two live cartridges from him.
Sustained interrogation revealed that the accused was in direct contact with Pakistan-based smugglers through various social media platforms and was receiving consignments of illegal arms through drones to further supply these weapons to gangsters, he said.
Based on disclosures made by Gopi, police teams also apprehended his associate Surjit Singh and seized two pistols from him, the police officer said.
Investigation revealed that Surjit Singh was actively involved in transporting and delivering illegal arms at different locations as part of the same network, he said, adding an FIR has been registered under the Arms Act.