Chandigarh: Punjab police on Monday claimed to have dismantled a Pakistan-linked cross-border arms smuggling module with the arrest of its two operatives and recovered seven sophisticated pistols - three PX5 and four .30 bore pistols – in a Amritsar Cantonment area.
Stating that the accused have been identified as Balwinder Singh (32), and Jugraj Singh alias Jagga, both residents of Amritsar district, Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were acting on the directions of Pak-based handler, who communicated with them through WhatsApp, assigning pickup points and delivery routes for illegal arms circulation.
Sharing operational details, Commissioner of Police (CP), Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that acting on an intelligence inputs, a police team, during ``naka bandi'' at the Cantonment area, intercepted suspect Balwinder Singh and five illegal pistols from his possession. Based on Balwinder's disclosure, police conducted a raid and arrested his associate Jugraj Singh alias Jagga and recovered two .30 bore pistols from his possession, he said.
The CP said that initial probe has revealed that both accused lived in close proximity to the international border, which made it convenient for them to support the cross-border smuggling chain. Investigation has further established that Balwinder Singh and Jugraj alias Jagga were active in the Amritsar rural sector, assisting in movement and distribution of smuggled arms, he said.
