Amritsar Arms smuggling gang busted, ISI connection exposed

The Counter Intelligence wing of the police has busted an alleged cross-border arms and explosives smuggling racket with the arrest of three individuals and the recovery of six hand grenades and 12 illegal pistols. The accused have been identified as Chintu, Jobanpreet Singh, and Gurpreet Singh, residents of Kakkar village under the jurisdiction of the Lopoke police station.

Police said the weapons and explosives have been seized and sent for forensic and scientific examination to ascertain their origin and possible use.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were allegedly acting on the instructions of a foreign-based smuggler supported by foreign operatives of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

The suspects allegedly received the consignment to carry out activities aimed at disturbing peace and public order in Punjab.

Sharing details on the seizure, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the recovery of explosives and sophisticated weapons has averted a potential security threat and dealt a significant blow to a cross-border terror and criminal network operating in the state. An FIR has been registered at the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) police station in Amritsar under relevant provisions of the Arms Act, Explosives Act, and the Indian Penal Code.

Investigators are probing the module’s forward and backward links to identify other members of the network, trace the source and intended recipients of the arms consignment, and ascertain whether the accused were involved in terrorist-related activities.