Cross-border arms smuggling network busted in Amritsar, 3 held with nine pistols

Chandigarh, Oct 30 (PTI) Punjab Police on Thursday busted a cross-border illegal arms smuggling module with the arrest of three operatives, officials said.

Those arrested have been identified as Davinder Singh, a resident of village Bhangwan in Amritsar Rural, Paramjit Singh alias Pamma and Harmeet Singh alias Meetu, both residents of Bhindi Aulakh in Amritsar Rural.

Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, on Thursday, said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested accused were working on the directions of a Pakistan-based smuggler. Police recovered nine sophisticated pistols along with magazines from their possession.

The recovered arms were meant to be supplied to Sherpreet Singh alias Gulaba, a close aide of notorious gangster Jobanjit Singh alias Billa Manga, to fuel unlawful activities in Punjab, he said in an official statement.

Sharing operational details, the DGP said that Counter Intelligence (wing of Punjab police), Amritsar, had received specific information about a foreign-based notorious gangster identified as Jobanjit Singh alias Billa Manga operating a gang in the state through his operatives, Paramjit Singh alias Pamma and Harmeet Singh alias Meetu.

The information further revealed that the latter has retrieved a huge consignment of illegal weapons from the Indo-Pak border, which was delivered from across the border with the help of drones in the area of village Bhindi Aulakh in Amritsar Rural, and is going to deliver it further to Sherpreet's accomplice, Davinder Singh, he said.

He said that acting swiftly, police teams intercepted the accused persons near Gurdwara Baba Mohri Ji at Chogawan in Amritsar Rural, and recovered the contrabands from their possession.

DGP Gaurav Yadav further said that Sherpreet Singh alias Gulaba is a habitual offender and seven different criminal cases have already been registered against him regarding possession of illegal arms, involvement in theft, looting and other criminal activities.

Further investigation is underway to expose the full nexus, including the backward and forward linkages of the network, he added.

A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Arms Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar. PTI SUN HIG HIG