Amritsar Police Uncover Cross-Border Arms Smuggling Ring; Six Firearms Confiscated
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Chandigarh, April 14 (NationPress) The Amritsar Commissionerate Police has successfully dismantled a cross-border illegal arms smuggling operation, leading to the apprehension of three suspects and the recovery of six advanced pistols, as reported by the Director General of Police, Gaurav Yadav, on Tuesday.
The individuals taken into custody have been named as Mangal Singh, also known as Manga, 30, from Kajikot village in Tarn Taran, Pranav Sharma, known as Laddu, 24, from Orchid Valley in Chheharta, and Gaurav Rana, 25, from Guru Nanak Avenue in Amritsar.
The seized firearms consist of two .30 bore pistols made in China, a Zigana .30 bore, and three additional .30 bore pistols.
According to DGP Yadav, initial investigations have disclosed that the suspects had been in touch with smugglers based in Pakistan via social media platforms. The illegal firearms were reportedly transported across the border using drones, with the accused responsible for collecting the shipments and distributing them to criminal networks.
The DGP stated that further investigations are ongoing to identify the complete network and its connections.
Elaborating on the operation, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, Commissioner of Police in Amritsar, mentioned that the arrests were made following a targeted operation based on actionable intelligence. Mangal Singh was apprehended with a .30 bore pistol, and upon his revelation, co-accused Sharma and Rana were also arrested, leading to the recovery of five more pistols. It was noted that both Sharma and Rana have previous criminal records, with cases registered under the Arms Act against them.
Additionally, both individuals are wanted in connection to a robbery case that involved a gunpoint incident at the Ranjit Avenue Police Station.
An FIR was registered on April 4 under sections 25 (6, 7, and 8) of the Arms Act at the Cantonment Police Station in Amritsar.