ISI-linked arms network busted

The Delhi Police Crime Branch has busted an international arms trafficking network linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) that was supplying sophisticated weapons made in Turkey and China to gangsters based in India, officials said on Saturday.

The operation led to the arrest of four persons identified as Mandeep Singh (38), a resident of Garha Road, Phillaur; Dalvinder Kumar (34), a resident of Atti village, Jalandhar district; Rohan (30), a resident of Lahudda village, Baghpat; and Ajay (27), a resident of Bawali village, Baghpat.

The police recovered 10 high-end weapons. Of this, three weapons are made in Turkey and five in China.

In a press statement, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said the syndicate was involved in cross-border smuggling linked to gang of Punjab-origin gangster Sonu Khatri, alias Rajesh Kumar.

The DCP said on November 19, the team received an intelligence that the traffickers would arrive in Rohini to deliver arms. Acting swiftly, a trap was laid near Khatu Shyam temple on the Bawana road, Sector 28.

A white car arrived at the spot. The police apprehended two suspects. A thorough search of the vehicle led to a significant discovery of high-quality foreign-made semi-automatic pistols concealed inside the vehicle’s speaker box. The two men - Mandeep and Dalvinder - were arrested on the spot, Yadav mentioned.

Their interrogation led the police to two more associates - Rohan and Ajay, alias Monu. The police recovered two additional pistols and eight cartridges from their possession.

The police said Mandeep and Dalvinder were childhood friends and joined the arms syndicate through Jaspreet, alias Jas, a close associate of gangster Sonu Khatri. Jas, currently abroad, is suspected of being connected with ISI-linked suppliers who arranged drone-based deliveries.

Rohan and Ajay were long associated with gangs in Delhi-NCR, including the Gogi gang, Bhau gang and Kapil Sangwan, alias Nandu gang, and were involved in distributing sophisticated arms to contract killers and extortion modules.

The police said Mandeep, also known as Pita or Manpreet, had an extensive criminal history involving murder, attempted murder, Gangsters’ Act and NDPS Act cases. He frequently used fake identities to evade the law.