Amritsar (Punjab) [India], June 12 : In a major blow to trans-border arms smuggling operation, Amritsar Rural Police have busted an illegal Arms smuggling module and arrested four operatives along with the recovery of nine weapons, officials said on Thursday.
In a post on X, the DGP Punjab Police said, "In an intelligence-led operation, Amritsar Rural Police busts an illegal Arms smuggling module linked to #Italy based Gurpreet Singh @ Gopy working in close coordination with #Pakistan-based smugglers and arrests four operatives and recovers 9 weapons. Further investigation is underway to trace the supply routes, identify additional accomplices, and establish deeper linkages with foreign handlers. An FIR is registered under Arms Act and NDPS Act, PS Gharinda."
"Punjab Police remains resolute in its commitment to dismantling organised criminal syndicates and safeguarding the peace and security of the state," the post further stated.
https://x.com/DGPPunjabPolice/status/1933122019073126744
Earlier, in a significant breakthrough, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police has dismantled a well-organised narco-hawala cartel allegedly led by Arshdeep, who is currently incarcerated in Goindwal Jail, officials said on Tuesday.
According to officials, acting on precise intelligence, police teams arrested six operatives and recovered 4.526 kg of heroin and Rs 8.7 lakh in drug money.
Preliminary investigations reveal that Arshdeep, in collusion with associates Jaspreet and Karan, orchestrated the drug trade and hawala transactions. Karan, along with Gurmeet and Rajinderpal, managed the retrieval and distribution of cross-border drug consignments across various districts in Punjab.
"The proceeds from the narcotics trade were laundered through hawala channels by Jaspreet, funnelled to Dubai, UAE, and subsequently to Pakistan. A mobile phone used by Arshdeep inside the jail was seized, providing critical evidence of their cross-border operations," the police said in a release.
One of the arrested operatives, who spent a year in Dubai forging connections with Pakistani smugglers, leveraged his village's proximity to the international border to facilitate smuggling directly to his residence after returning to India two months ago, they said.