Chandigarh, Sep 22 (PTI) In an intelligence-led operation, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has dismantled an organised arms and hawala network and apprehended three operatives involved in cross-border illegal weapons supply, an official said on Monday.
Ten sophisticated weapons and Rs 2.5 lakh hawala money have been recovered, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said.
“Preliminary investigation reveals, the arrested accused were in contact with Pakistan-based handlers via social media to procure and circulate illegal weapons with an intent to disturb peace and harmony in the state,” the DGP said in a post on X.
An FIR has been registered at Police Station Gate Hakima, Amritsar.
Further investigation is underway to unearth the entire network and identify cross-border linkages, he said.
Meanwhile, according to an official statement later, the DGP said those arrested have been identified as Amarjeet Singh alias Bau (22), a resident of Majhi Meo in Amritsar; Manbir Singh (26), a resident of Vaan Tara Singh in Tarn Taran; and Mohammad Tofiq Khan alias Babblu (42), a resident of Gautam Nagar in Mumbai.
The recovered weapons include three .30 bore PX5 pistols, three 9MM Glocks, one 9MM Bretta and three .30 bore pistols, the DGP said.
Sharing operation details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that in an intelligence-led operation, police teams had arrested Amarjeet alias Bau and recovered one Glock pistol from his possession.
Later, on disclosure of Amarjeet, Manbir was nominated and arrested along with nine pistols, he said, while adding that both Amarjeet and Manbir had a common Pakistan-based handler, who pushed weapon consignments into Indian territory using drones.
Bhullar said that further investigation has revealed that the money from this smuggling trade was routed through hawala to Pakistan by a Mumbai-based individual Mohammad Tofiq Khan, who was using rented premises in different cities of the Punjab for network operations. PTI SUN NB NB
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