Two aides of gangster-turned terrorist Lakhbir Landa held in Amritsar

Amritsar, July 15

The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) here today claimed to have busted an interstate weapon smuggling module operated by foreign-based designated terrorist Lakhbir Singh Landa by arresting his two associates and recovered six sophisticated .32 bore pistols from their possession.

DGP Gaurav Yadav in a statement on Monday said pursuing intelligence based operation, the SSOC nabbed two persons identified as Sumitpal Singh, a resident of Thathian village falling under the Harike police station in Tarn Taran district, and Arpandeep Singh, a resident of Chamba Kalan village in Tarn Taran.

Both the suspects were students of a reputed college on main GT Road leading to Chheharta. A case under Section 25 of the Arms Act, and 61 (2) of the BNS, 2023, was registered at the SSOC here against the two suspects.

He said the police got a tip-off that associates of Lawrence Bishnoi had retrieved weapons consignment from Madhya Pradesh (MP) following which an operation was launched by the SSOC by arresting the duo near the Amritsar railway station.

“As per preliminary probe the suspects were directly in touch with an MP-based illegal weapons dealer. They had brought the weapon consignment around a fortnight ago. They had gone to MP by a bus and returned on a train,” the DGP said. This was the second consignment procured by the suspects from the same MP-based weapon dealer during the last two months, he said, while adding that they were identified by the police.

“Investigations are going on to establish backward and forward links to arrest the remaining suspects and dismantle illegal weapon smuggling from the MP,” the DGP said.

“The suspects have revealed that they had procured the weapon consignment to further sell it to criminal elements. They have already sold two .32 bore pistols to two unknown persons in the Harike area a month ago,” he said.

The DGP said efforts were being made to identify and apprehend the MP-based illegal weapons dealer. The suspects were produced in a court and brought on three-day police remand for further probe, the DGP added.