Amritsar police bust Pakistan-linked arms and drug trafficking module

Amritsar Police dismantled an illegal arms and drug-trafficking module allegedly linked to Pakistan-based smugglers.

The police arrested two accused and recovered 2.225 kg of heroin, six sophisticated pistols alongwith 12 live cartridges during separate operations.

Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Police Commissioner, said that acting on specific intelligence inputs, a team first arrested Sukhdev Singh alias Sukh (23), a resident of Chicha village under Gharinda police station. During the operation, police recovered 2.225kg of heroin from his possession.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused was actively involved in narcotics trafficking and had procured the heroin consignment for further distribution.

During interrogation, investigators unearthed links to a Pakistan-based smuggler, identified as Mola, who allegedly used drones to deliver consignments of heroin and weapons across the international border. The contraband was then supplied to criminal elements in Punjab through local operatives.

Expanding the probe, police arrested Harjinder Singh alias Jinder (37), a resident of Lodhi Gujjar village under Lopoke police station. During his search, police recovered four sophisticated pistols, including a Chinese-made .30 bore pistol, two Austria-made Glock 9mm pistols, one USA-made Glock 9mm pistol and eight live cartridges.

Further recovery was made on the basis of Harjinder’s disclosure statement, leading police to seize two more Turkey-made .30 bore pistols along with four additional live cartridges.

Bhullar said both accused belong to border villages and have previous criminal records. Sukhdev Singh was already wanted in an Arms Act case registered at Chheharta police station in April this year, in which four of his associates had been arrested with seven pistols and 12 cartridges.

Investigators has identified him as a key facilitator who allegedly arranged the supply of illegal weapons through contacts based in Pakistan.

Harjinder Singh had earlier been booked in a kidnapping case registered at Lopoke police station in 2016.

Separate FIRs have been registered under the NDPS Act and Arms Act at Chheharta and Cantonment police stations respectively. The Police Commissioner said further investigations are under way to trace the entire cross-border network, identify additional associates and establish backward and forward linkages in the smuggling racket.