4 held, 18 kg RDX seized
Tribune News Service

FEROZEPORE, Nov 4 — The Punjab Police recovered huge quantity of explosive and ammunition from a tractor-trailer near village Kutbewala. The haul included 18 kg of RDX explosive, two AK-56 rifles with six magazines, 10 electronic detonators, 10 safety fuse detonators, six time pencils, eight time delay switches with battery of nine volts cordex wire, safety fuse, two guns, two pistols and 500 cartridges.

Explosive and ammunition which was smuggled from Pakistan through Punjab borders was being brought to Ferozepore city by eight persons in tractor-trailer and on two motorcycles yesterday. The ammunition and explosive was hidden in wheat bags.

The police has arrested four persons while other four persons including a police constable escaped. Those arrested have been identified as Devinder Singh, Balwinder Singh, Sucha Singh and Mukhtiar Singh.

Police sources said that on a specific information that certain smugglers and militants were likely to smuggle arms and ammunition from across the border, a special naka-bandi and checking operation were organised by the SSP.

On November 3, a police party comprising Mr Joginder Kumar, DSP, Mr Hardev Singh, Inspector, Bhupinder and other police men spotted a tractor-trailer and motor cycles coming towards Ferozepore city from village Kutbewala at 7.30 p.m. The police party signalled to the driver of tractor-trailer and motor cycles to stop.

As soon as the driver of motor-cycle stopped, the ASI Mr Lakhwinder Singh recognised him as Mukhtiar Singh son of notorious smuggler-cum-terrorist Buta Singh Judge who had died in police encounter six years ago.

Lakhwinder Singh alerted the police party and on sensing danger all accused jumped into fields to escape but four of them were overpowered by the police.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr PC Dogra, DGP, Punjab said that consignment was smuggled into India by German-based terrorists on the direction of the ISI to revive militancy in Punjab. He said that this was for the first time in the past one and half year the terrorists had tried to smuggle weapons from the fenced Punjab border.

While claiming that it was the biggest ever haul in the current year, he ruled out any laxity on the part of the BSF and added that puncturing of fenced Punjab border by the ISI-sponsored terrorists was strong indication that various outfits were trying to revive militancy in Punjab.

He said that explosive and ammunition recovered from these four persons was meant for the Babbar Khalsa and the Bhindrawale Tigers Force of Khalistan (BTKF) outfits. He added that the police was interrogating the four persons to know the origin of explosive and ammunition in Pakistan and its ultimate destination.

Mr Dogra said that the other four persons who had escaped had been identified as Sukhdev Singh alias Sukha, Bakhshis Singh (police constable) and one person was still unidentified. He said that tractor-trailer seized from the accused was registered in the name of Harbans Kaur who was mother of Kulwinder Singh, police constable.

Mr Dogra said that so far, the police had recovered all consignment of explosive and ammunition sent to Punjab by the ISI through Jammu border. He, however, said that one or two consignments could have escaped police attention.

He said that as per preliminary investigations, the explosive and ammunition were dumped near the border by the ISI and it was an action group from outside the country who were to use it. He said that it was for the first time in the past one and half year that AK-56 rifles had been recovered by the police.

He said that Kulwinder Singh constable who had escaped was earlier an informer of the police during militancy and had also participated in number of encounters. Few years ago Kulwinder Singh was first recruited as an SPO in Punjab Home Guards and then he was taken as constable in the Punjab Police. He added that as Kulwinder Singh had contacts with the terrorists so he changed his loyalty.

He claimed that foreign-based terrorist outfits were finding it difficult to revive terrorism in Punjab as Punjab's youth was no more with them.

Mr Dogra said that the police was having the upper hand over remnants of various terrorist outfits acting on the directions of the ISI to foment trouble in the border state.

Mr Dogra who along with Mr Hardeep Dhillon, DIG Ferozepore Range, said that police team which had made the haul would be suitably rewarded.