Chandigarh, Jun 27 (PTI) Punjab Police busted a cross-border arms smuggling network and arrested four persons in Amritsar with 10 sophisticated pistols and live cartridges, a top police officer said on Saturday.
According to a preliminary investigation, the accused were acting on the directions of a foreign-based smuggler and receiving illegal weapon consignments through cross-border routes for further supply to criminal elements, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said in a post on X.
The DGP said that further investigation is underway to establish backward and forward linkages in this case to identify other associates involved in the illegal arms supply chain.
Those arrested have been identified as Ravi Singh (33) and Sharanbir Singh alias Sunny (31), both residents of village Mahawa in Amritsar; Manpreet Singh alias Mannu (21), a resident of village Nihala Kilcha in Ferozepur and Pippal Singh (22), a resident of village Fatehwala Hithar in Ferozepur.
The recovered weapons include three .30 bore (Made in China), one 9MM Glock (Made in Austria), one 9MM and five .30 bore, along with nine live cartridges. Police teams have also impounded their two motorcycles.
Sharing operational details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said, acting on reliable inputs, police teams arrested Ravi Singh and Sharanbir alias Sunny and recovered three pistols from their possession.
During sustained interrogation of the arrested accused, police teams recovered two more pistols on their disclosure, taking forward the investigation into the larger illegal arms network.
The CP said that pursuing further leads and intensifying the investigation regarding the foreign-based smuggler, police teams arrested Manpreet alias Mannu and Pippal Singh, and recovered three pistols from their possession.
Further interrogation of the accused Manpreet Mannu and Pippal Singh led to the recovery of two additional pistols, exposing their active role in the illegal arms supply chain, he added.
He said that verification of criminal antecedents has revealed that the arrested accused, Sharanbir alias Sunny and Ravi Singh, are already involved in a previously registered criminal case under attempt to murder and Arms Act provisions.
CP Gurpreet Bhullar said that the investigation has further revealed that all four accused are residents of villages located close to the International Border, indicating their proximity-based access and involvement in cross-border illegal arms smuggling activities. PTI CHS AMJ AMJ
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