AK series assault rifles recovered

In a success against cross-border smuggling network, the Amritsar rural police have busted an arms smuggling module with links to Pakistan and recovered a cache of sophisticated weapons and ammunition near the Ravi river in Ghonewal village, close to the Indo-Pak border.

Gaurav Yadav, Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, said acting on timely intelligence input, police teams recovered two AK series assault rifles with eight magazines, one .30 bore pistol with two magazines, 50 live cartridges of .30 bore, and 245 live cartridges of 7.62 mm.

He said the prompt and alert action by the police averted a major incident, especially amid heightened cross-border activity by Pakistan sponsored elements and inter-gang rivalries in the region. “Further investigation is underway to expose the entire nexus, including backward and forward linkages,” the DGP said.

Sharing operational details, Maninder Singh, SSP, Amritsar rural, said following a credible tip-off about a consignment of weapons being pushed from across the border, police teams launched a combing operation in the area of Ghonewal village. During search, a bag containing the weapons and ammunition was recovered near the Ravi river, adjacent to the Indo-Pak border.

He said efforts were underway to trace the source and intended recipients of the arms consignment. “More recoveries and arrests are expected in the coming days,” the SSP said.

A case under Section 25(8) of the Arms Act and Section 113 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at the Ramdas police station in this connection.