BIG BLOW TO CROSS-BORDER ARMS SMUGGLING NETWORK; JUVENILE AMONG FOUR HELD WITH 7 PISTOLS IN AMRITSAR
— WEAPONS WERE MEANT TO FUEL GANG RIVALRIES AND DISRUPT PEACE IN REGION: DGP GAURAV YADAV
— RECOVERY OF THESE WEAPONS AVERTED MAJOR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN THE AREA: CP AMRITSAR GURPREET BHULLAR
CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, August 1 (WISHAVWARTA):- In a major crackdown amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busted two separate cross-border illegal arms smuggling modules with the arrest of four operatives, including a juvenile, and recovered seven sophisticated pistols from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.
Those arrested have been identified as Sikanderjeet Singh (19) of village Bhagwanpura, Tarn Taran; Pradeep Singh alias Babbal (43) of Antarjami Colony, Amritsar; Jarnail Singh (34) of New Shaheed Udham Singh Nagar, Amritsar; and one 17-years-old juvenile from Tarn Taran.
The recovered weapons include two Glock pistols, four .30 bore Star pistols and one .32 bore pistol along with six live cartridges. Apart from recovering weapons, police teams have also recovered their motorcycle, which they were using to deliver consignment.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were in touch with Pakistan-based smugglers and retrieved weapon consignments near the international border. The weapons were meant to fuel gang rivalries and disrupt peace in the region, he said.
The DGP said that further investigation is underway to trace forward and backward linkages to unearth the entire smuggling network.
Sharing details of the operation, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that preliminary investigations revealed accused Sikander along with a juvenile was in touch with Pak based Smugglers. They have their home close to vicinity of the international border and retrieved the drone dropped consignments from the locations provided by them, he said.
In other module, the CP said that accused Pardeep and Jarnail are associates of deceased Ravneet Singh alias Sonu Mota, who was in rivalry with Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang. These weapons are sophisticated pistols received from pak smugglers and were handed over to them by slain Sonu mota prior to his death, he said, while adding that recovery of these weapons averted major criminal activity in the area.
He said that further investigation is ongoing, and more arrests are likely in the coming days.
In this regard, two seperate cases— FIR No. 187 dated 26.07.2025 under sections 25(7) and 27 of the Arms Act at Police Station Gate Hakima, Amritsar and FIR No. 160 dated 29.07.2025 under section 25 of the Arms Act, Police Station B-Division, Amritsar— have been registered.
