Amritsar, 03 November (H.S.): Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busted three illegal arms and drug supply networks with the arrest of 11 individuals, including two juveniles, and recovered two hand grenades, 12 sophisticated pistols and 310.10 grams heroin from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Tuesday.

Those arrested have been identified as Bobby (21), a resident of Nirankari Colony; Samayal Singh (18) of village Cheema Khurd in Tarn Taran; Satmol Singh alias Thekedar (20) of Rattan Singh Chowk; Harpreet Singh alias Happy alias Bhundi (23), Akashdeep Singh (22), and Akashdeep Singh alias Akash (20), all residents of Naraingarh, Chheharta; Shamsher Singh alias Shera (20) and Gurbir Singh alias Billa (18), both residents of Village Bainka in Tarn Taran; Vishal Singh alias Kalu (24) of Jandiala Guru, Amritsar Rural; and two juveniles.

The recovered pistols include three .30 bore (Made in China), two .30 bore PX5 Storm, one 9MM Zigana, one 9MM Glock, three .30 bore pistols, one .32 bore pistol, and one .315 bore country-made weapon along with 33 live cartridges. Apart from this, police teams have also impounded one motorcycle.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were allegedly in contact with foreign-based handlers and gangsters who facilitated the supply of illegal weapons and narcotics through drone-based consignments for further distribution among criminal elements. The arrested accused were using the weapons to open fire at houses and shops to intimidate people in connection with extortion demands, he said.

The DGP said that further investigation is underway to establish the complete backward and forward linkages in this case to identify other associates and dismantle the wider illegal arms and drug supply networks.

Sharing details of first operation, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Harmanbir Singh Gill said that teams from Police Station Ranjit Avenue apprehended Bobby, Samayal Singh, and Satmol Singh alias Thekedar, initially recovering four illegal pistols along with 10 live cartridges from their possession. On their disclosure, three more pistols were recovered, taking the total to seven, he said.

In the second operation, he said that Police Station Chheharta teams initially apprehended Harpreet alias Bhundi along with a juvenile, recovering two pistols and four live cartridges. Subsequent investigation led to the arrest of another juvenile and associates Akashdeep Singh and Akashdeep Singh alias Akash, resulting in the seizure of two live hand grenades and 15 live cartridges, he said.

In the third operation, the CP said that teams from Police Station Sultanwind arrested Shamsher Singh alias Shera, Vishal Singh alias Kalu, and Gurbir Singh alias Billa, recovering three pistols, four live cartridges, and 310.10 grams of heroin.

In this regard, three separate cases have been registered.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH