Three held for cross-border arms smuggling in Punjab

Chandigarh, Sep 4 (IANS) In a coordinated crackdown based on timely intelligence, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police has arrested three men involved in cross-border organised arms and hawala network, Punjab's Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said here on Thursday.

Those arrested have been identified as Harpreet Singh, 23, a resident of Kot Mehtab village in Amritsar, Gurpal Singh, 21, a resident of Sursingh village in Tarn Taran, and Ranjodh Singh, 33, a resident of Viring village in Tarn Taran.

Police have recovered 2.02 kg heroin, four pistols, including a Glock and three .30 bore pistols, and Rs 3.5 lakh hawala money, besides impounding their motorcycle.

DGP Yadav said the gang was using drones to smuggle heroin and weapons from Pakistan and had an active presence in the border areas of Punjab.

Preliminary investigation has revealed the accused, Harpreet Singh and Gurpal Singh, who earlier went to Malaysia, are linked with cross-border smugglers, he said.

The DGP said a case has been registered at the police station in Gate Hakiman, and further investigation is underway to establish forward and backward linkages in this case to expose the complete nexus.

Sharing operation details, Commissioner of Police, Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said accused Harpreet Singh and Gurpal Singh were earlier arrested with 220 gram of heroin along with a motorcycle. Further on disclosure of the arrested accused, police teams have recovered 1.8 kg more heroin along with two .30 bore pistols from the pinpointed spot.

He said the probe has revealed that Harpreet Singh went to Malaysia in 2023 and returned after seven months, while Gurpal Singh went in 2022 and returned in 2023. They were not known to each other in Malaysia, but they had a common Pakistan-based smuggler in contact, and on the latter’s directions, they had received the consignments.

Bhullar said on further disclosure of Gurpal Singh, accused Ranjodh Singh was named during the investigation and was arrested along with two pistols and Rs 3.5 lakh drug money. This drug money was of contraband trade, which was to be routed through hawala to Pakistan, he added.

--IANS

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