Gujarat ATS arrests man wanted by Punjab cops

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has apprehended a man wanted by the Punjab Police for his alleged involvement in smuggling arms for a gang working at the behest of Pakistan-based terror networks to carry out grenade attacks in the country, an official said.

The ATS, in a press note on Friday, said Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi Billa, was nabbed from Halol town in Panchmahal district based on specific inputs shared by the Punjab Police.

“He will be handed over to the Punjab Police. Recently, the police in Gurdaspur district registered a case against certain individuals for smuggling and detonating grenades and helping terror networks operating across the border,” the press note said.

“Preliminary probe revealed the main accused in the case, Manu Agwan and Maninder Billa, who are currently in Malaysia, were recruiting operatives in Punjab at the behest of handlers of Pakistan’s ISI to carry out grenade attacks in densely populated areas of Punjab and other states to spread terror,” it added.

During the interrogation of two other accused arrested recently, the Punjab Police learnt about Singh’s role in smuggling two grenades and two pistols as part of a conspiracy to carry out terror attacks, it said. “Based on the information shared by the Punjab Police, the ATS reached Halol and learnt that Singh had started working as a labourer in a factory. He was apprehended from a hotel,” the press note said.