2 weapon smugglers held, 7 pistols seized

The Amritsar Commissionerate police have busted a Pakistan-backed weapon smuggling module with the arrest of two operatives and seized seven sophisticated pistols from their possession.

The seizure included three PX5 and four .30-bore pistols, Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said on Monday.

Those arrested were Balwinder Singh (32) of Bhindi Nain village and Jugraj Singh, alias Jagga (29), of Mulla Behram village here. The police said Jugraj had a history of involvement in serious crimes, including murder. He also faces cases under the Arms Act and the NDPS Act.

Bhullar said preliminary investigation revealed that both accused were working at the behest of a Pakistan-based handler, who communicated with them through social media calls. The handler allegedly assigned them pickup locations and delivery routes for circulating illegal weapons within Punjab.

The police commissioner said the operation was launched following specific intelligence inputs. During a naka in the Cantonment area, the police intercepted Balwinder Singh and seized five pistols from his possession. His interrogation led the police team to Jugraj Singh, from whom two more .30-bore pistols were seized.

The CP said both suspects lived close to the International Border, making it easier for them to facilitate movement and distribution of smuggled weapons. Initial findings suggest the duo was active in the Amritsar (Rural) belt, playing a crucial role in sustaining the cross-border supply chain.

A case under various sections of the Arms Act has been registered at the Amritsar (Cantonment) police station. Further investigations are underway to trace forward and backward linkages of the module, he added.