Amritsar police busted a cross-border illegal arms smuggling module, arresting eight accused. Cops recovered 11 sophisticated pistols and eight live cartridges. The accused are reportedly linked to foreign-based operatives, police said.
Cross-Border Arms Smuggling Racket Busted
Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busted a cross-border illegal arms smuggling module, arrested eight accused persons and recovered 11 sophisticated pistols and eight live cartridges, the Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) said on Thursday.
In a post on X, the Punjab DGP said, "Amritsar Commissionerate Police bust a cross-border illegal arms smuggling module, apprehend eight accused, and recover 11 sophisticated pistols and 08 live cartridges."
According to the DGP, preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were allegedly in contact with foreign-based operatives involved in the supply of illegal weapons. The recovered arms were intended for distribution among criminal elements and for use in extortion, violent crimes and other unlawful activities, the DGP said.
Police said FIRs have been registered at Airport Police Station, Sadar Police Station and Chheharta Police Station in Amritsar. Further investigation is underway to establish backwards and forwards linkages, identify other associates connected with the network and ascertain further recoveries and arrests, according to the DGP.
Recent Drug Cartel Bust
The latest operation comes a week after the Amritsar Commissionerate Police dismantled a cross-border drug smuggling cartel and arrested six accused persons while recovering 30.045 kg of heroin.
According to Punjab Police, preliminary investigation in that case revealed that the arrested accused were also linked to a foreign-based operative who was allegedly facilitating the supply of heroin consignments from across the border.
Police had said the accused used to retrieve the consignments from designated locations on the directions of the Dubai-based handler and subsequently distribute them to various recipients across Punjab.
The operation led to the dismantling of an organised network involved in the transportation and distribution of narcotics in the state. The case was registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Chheharta Police Station in Amritsar.
Investigators were also examining the financial trail associated with the smuggling operation and probing possible hawala links that may have been used to facilitate transactions related to the narcotics trade. (ANI)
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