Cross-border arms, drug racket busted in Amritsar; 5 held
As many as 12 sophisticated pistols, including .30-bore firearms, and 1.5 kg of heroin are among the seized items; the arrests were made during a checkpoint operation in the Gate Hakima area
Punjab police busted a cross-border arms and narcotics smuggling network with links to Pakistan, arresting five people, including a juvenile, and seizing 12 sophisticated pistols, all brand new with .30 bore, and 1.5 kg of heroin, DGP Gaurav Yadav said on Thursday.
Those arrested have been identified as Joban Singh (22), Karandeep Singh alias Pandit (19), Ajaypal Singh (18), all residents of Mari Megha village in Tarn Taran; Jashanpreet Singh (18) from Rania village in Amritsar; and a 16-year-old juvenile.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Joban and Jashanpreet were in direct contact with Pakistan-based smugglers and were coordinating consignments via social media. The weapons were reportedly intended to fuel inter-gang rivalries in Punjab.
Commissioner of police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the arrests were made during a checkpoint operation in the Gate Hakima area, where three accused were caught with five pistols. All are from Mari Megha village, located near the international border.
Further leads from the interrogation led to the arrest of Jashanpreet and the juvenile, from whom seven more pistols were recovered. Joban also disclosed the location of a hidden 1.5 kg heroin consignment, which was later seized.
