Four Held as Punjab Police Bust Interstate Arms Racketਪੰਜਾਬ ਪੁਲਿਸ ਦੀ ਵੱਡੀ ਕਾਰਵਾਈ: ਅੰਤਰ-ਰਾਜੀ ਹਥਿਆਰ ਤਸਕਰੀ ਰੈਕੇਟ ਦਾ ਭੰਡਾਫੋੜ, ਚਾਰ ਗ੍ਰਿਫ਼ਤਾਰ

In a major breakthrough, Gurdaspur Police on Thursday dismantled an interstate arms-smuggling racket with the arrest of four men and the recovery of seven sophisticated pistols, including an Austrian-made Glock. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav announced the operation, saying preliminary investigation revealed the accused were being directed by handlers based in Dubai and the United States to collect and deliver illegal weapons.

The arrests

Those arrested have been identified as Lovepreet Singh (26), Lovepreet Singh (25) and Jashandeep Singh (25), all residents of Sitarganj in Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand, and Harjinder Singh (23), a resident of Lakhan Kalan village in Kalanaur, Gurdaspur. Sharing operational details, IGP (Border Range) Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said Gurdaspur police had received specific input that the suspects had retrieved a weapons consignment and were on their way to deliver it to the other party.

Weapons seized

The recovered weapons include one Glock pistol made in Austria, four .30 bore pistols made in China and two .30 bore pistols, along with eight magazines. Police teams also impounded the silver Maruti Swift car (registration number UK 16 C 0040) the accused were using. An FIR has been registered under the Arms Act at Kalanaur police station, and the police are working to establish the full backward and forward linkages of the racket.

The foreign link

According to DGP Yadav, preliminary investigation revealed that the arrested accused had alleged backward linkages with an individual based in Dubai and forward linkages with an individual based in the USA, who allegedly tasked and directed them to collect the illegal weapons. Police are now probing the entire network to apprehend additional people involved in the supply chain.

Part of a wider drive

The operation is part of the Punjab Police's ongoing campaign to make the state safe and secure by cracking down on illegal firearms and gang culture. Punjab sits on a known smuggling route where arms and narcotics frequently find their way across, and police say further arrests are likely as the investigation into the racket's network continues.