Police quiz two youths in weapon smuggling case

The police have taken two more Punjab residents in custody in connection with cross-border weapon smuggling. Two foreign-made pistols, two magazines, seven live cartridges and a drone were found near Chak 9-FA village, close to the India-Pakistan border in the Sriganganagar sector, on the intervening night of December 1 and 2 last year.

Investigating official Ram Pratap Verma said Sukhwinder Singh (21), a resident of Sukhera Bodla, Jalalabad, in Fazilka, and Mangaljit Singh (20), a resident of Guruharsahai, Ferozepur, were being questioned in the custody.

The duo was among six smugglers, who had been arrested for smuggling 6 kg of heroin dropped by Pakistani smugglers in the Sriganganagar area on June 15 last year.

During the interrogation by intelligence agencies, it came to light that Sukhwinder and Mangaljit had contacted Pakistani smugglers and procured weapons, which were found along with the drone in Chak 9-FA. The duo had got these weapons smuggled for “self-protection” while selling drugs in Punjab.