CHANDIGARH: In the cross-border dynamics between India and Pakistan, the neighbouring country is now utilising drones and appears to air-drop Turkish PX5 pistols into Punjab.
In May this year, during the four-day military confrontation between both countries, Pakistan had sent Turkish drones, which were shot down.
Sources pointed out that this month alone, in four separate operations, the Punjab Police have seized PX5 pistols manufactured by TISAS in Turkey, which were dropped by the drones sent by Pakistan, as they were part of the weapons consignments.
In the latest seizures, in Amritsar on June 21, three PX5 pistols were recovered in two different operations.
Two pistols were recovered by the Amritsar Commissionerate Police and one by the Amritsar Rural Police. This is in addition to the Zigana Pistols, which were recovered earlier.
The Amritsar Commissionerate Police dismantled a Pakistan-backed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror module being operated by UK-based handler Dharam Singh alias Dharma Sandhu with the arrest of a local operative.
They also recovered six sophisticated foreign-made pistols from his possession.
Director General of Police, Punjab, Gaurav Yadav said that the arrested accused has been identified as Onkar Singh alias Nawab, a resident of Jalalusma village in Amritsar.
The weapons, smuggled via drones from across the Indo-Pak border, include four 9 mm Glock pistols and two .30 bore PX5 pistols.
Yadav said that the foreign-based handler Dharam Singh alias Dharma Sandhu, who has been operating the terror module, is a close associate of Pak-based terrorist Harvinder Singh alias Rinda.
Further investigations is underway to establish forward and backward linkages in the case and unearth the broader network, he said.
Sharing operation details, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said.
"The accused disclosed during interrogation that the weapons were delivered via drones and were meant for disruptive activities," he added.
He said that preliminary investigations revealed the accused was part of a sleeper cell activated by foreign-based handlers to destabilise the state.
"The weapons were to be distributed among local operatives to execute targeted killings and terror activities in the State," he said. A case was also registered on June 21 under section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Maqboolpura in Amritsar.
In a separate operation on June 21, the Amritsar Rural Police intercepted a separate consignment from Lopoke village, as Lovepreet Singh alias Love and Balwinder Singh alias Bobby were arrested and one PX5 (.30 bore) pistol, 6.15 kg of heroin and Rs 10,000 in suspected narco-funds were recovered from them. A case was registered at the Lopoke police station.
While earlier this month, eight foreign-made weapons, including four PX5 pistols made in Turkey, were recovered on June 5 from Sukhchain Singh of Daoke and Jugraj Singh of Bhakna Kalan by the Amritsar police as the two alleged accused. These weapons were allegedly dropped by a drone sent by a Pakistan-based handler, Noor.
On June 6, two PX5 pistols, along with four Glock 9mm pistols, were seized from Surajpal Singh and Arshdeep Singh of Lakhna village by the Tarn Taran Police, and they were arrested.
The consignment was also linked to Pakistani handlers, claimed the police. An officer on condition of anonymity said that these Turkish PX5 pistols are quickly becoming the weapon of choice for criminals in the State.
While the PX5 pistols are manufactured by TISAS in Turkey, the Glock 19X pistols are made by Glock Ges mbH in Austria, and these are smuggled into Punjab via drones sent from across the border.
The other weapons are Beretta .30 pistols manufactured in Italy and US-made 45 bore pistols, which have been found in consignments linked to US-based handlers.