Illegal arms smuggling racket busted, 3 nabbed with weapons

The Amritsar police commissionerate has unearthed an illegal weapons smuggling racket with the arrest of three persons and seizure of a large cache of arms and ammunition.

Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said acting on a tip-off, the police set up a naka at Gumtala Chowk, where Beant Singh was intercepted and arrested. A search led to the seizure of two pistols (.32 bore) with two live cartridges, one pistol (.315 bore) with two cartridges and a Swift car.

His interrogation led to the arrest of Gurpinder Singh, alias Sajan, while further disclosures resulted in the arrest of Yodhbir Singh, alias Yodha, from whom three pistols (.32 bore) and one revolver (.32 bore) were recovered.

The police recovered five pistols, a revolver, a pistol (.315 bore) with cartridges and a car.

Bhullar said the arrested accused have previous criminal records, except Gurpinder Singh. Beant Singh (30) is involved in three earlier cases registered under the Arms Act and the Indian Penal Code, while Yodhbir Singh (33) faced four cases.

The police said investigations are underway to trace the source of the weapons and the wider network involved in the illegal arms trade.