CHANDIGARH: Punjab Police on Monday said it has dismantled a drug and illegal arms smuggling module in Amritsar with the arrest of one accused and recovery of 2.1 kg heroin along with seven sophisticated pistols.
Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav identified the accused as Khush Kumar alias Bholu (26), a resident of Gurwali Gate in Amritsar.
“The accused has a criminal history with cases pertaining to the NDPS Act, Arms Act and snatching registered against him,” Yadav said.
The recovered weapons include one 9MM Gladiator made in Turkey, one 9MM Zigana X-SHOT, one .30 bore Bretta made in Italy, one .30 bore Zigana made in China, one .30 bore pistol made in Austria and two .30 bore pistols made in China.
According to preliminary investigation, the accused was in contact with foreign-based smugglers through virtual numbers. Illegal consignments of heroin and weapons were allegedly delivered through drones from across the border and later supplied to criminal elements.
Yadav said further investigation was underway to establish forward and backward linkages of the network and identify other associates involved.
Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the accused was arrested in an intelligence-based operation and the heroin was first recovered from his possession.
“Further investigation and sustained interrogation of the accused led to the recovery of seven pistols,” he said.
Bhullar added that the weapons were allegedly meant to be supplied to criminal elements for carrying out illegal activities, but the accused was arrested before they could be circulated further.
A case has been registered under Section 21-C of the NDPS Act and Section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station C-Division in Amritsar.
In another operation, Ludhiana Commissionerate Police, in a joint action with Counter Intelligence Punjab, busted a transnational terror-gangster nexus with the arrest of two operatives and recovery of three illegal pistols and 11 live cartridges.
The arrested accused were identified as Anuraj alias Gaurav Masih and Ankush, both residents of Phillaur in Jalandhar district.
Police said Ankush is a habitual offender and was previously booked in an attempt-to-murder case registered at Police Station Goraya.
The recovered weapons include two .30 bore pistols and one .315 bore pistol. Police also impounded a Bajaj CT 100 motorcycle without a registration number that was allegedly being used for criminal activities.
Yadav said preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were acting on the directions of foreign-based handlers operating from Germany and Dubai and had been assigned high-profile targeted shootings.
“Their timely arrest has successfully averted potentially serious criminal activities,” he said, adding that efforts were on to identify other members of the network.
Ludhiana Police Commissioner Swapan Sharma said a joint team of CIA Staff and Counter Intelligence Ludhiana had set up a naka within the jurisdiction of Police Station Ladowal based on specific intelligence inputs.
Acting on information that two armed men were waiting near the Hardy’s World area to execute a sensational crime, the police conducted a tactical raid and arrested both suspects, he said.
During preliminary interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to being active members of an organised transnational criminal syndicate operated by foreign-based handlers.
“These overseas handlers utilised their network to supply high-grade weapons to the arrested operatives and had assigned them specific, high-value targets,” Sharma said.
A case has been registered under Section 25 of the Arms Act and Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station Ladowal in Ludhiana.
