2 brothers held with IED; cops link them to cross-border network

The Amritsar Rural Police on Wednesday arrested two brothers allegedly linked to a cross-border smuggling network and recovered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) from their possession.

The accused have been identified as Akashdeep Singh, alias Akash, and Yuvraj Singh, both residents of Ranike village in Amritsar. The police also seized two mobile phones and impounded the motorcycle reportedly used in their activities.

The recovery came a day after reports claimed that a grenade had been thrown outside the city police station in Gurdaspur on Tuesday evening, though the police denied those reports.

Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav said preliminary investigations indicate that the brothers were in direct contact with a Pakistan-based handler, pointing to strong cross-border links behind the plot. He said the investigation is underway to trace both the forward and backward linkages of the module.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Border Range, Sandeep Goel said the duo was allegedly planning to carry out a terror attack aimed at disturbing peace and communal harmony in the border region. “Police teams are questioning the accused to identify other operatives and handlers connected to the module,” he added.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Amritsar Rural, Suhail Qasim Mir said the arrests were made by the special cell following specific intelligence inputs. He added that the recovered IED was secured and later safely disposed of by forensic experts.

A case has been registered under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act, along with Section 113 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), at the Gharinda police station. Further investigations are in progress, police officials said.