Amritsar, 28 August (H.S.): State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Amritsar and Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar, in two separate operations, busted weapons and narcotics smuggling modules with the arrest of six individuals and recovered 2.9 kg heroin and eight high-end pistols along with six live cartridges from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.

Those arrested have been identified as Inderpal Singh and Sikandarjit Singh, both residents of village Bhindi Aulakh in Amritsar; Happy Singh alias Veerpal Singh, a resident of Kakkar in Amritsar; Sunil Masih and Rajan Masih, both residents of Mahal in Gurdaspur; and Pardeep Singh, a resident of Noorpur in Amritsar.

Apart from recovering narcotics and weapons, police teams have also impounded their Hyundai Venue car and Splendor motorcycle, being used for smuggling activities.

DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested accused were involved in cross-border smuggling and were receiving consignments of weapons and narcotics through drones for further distribution among criminal elements in the state. Further investigation is underway to establish the forward and backward linkages in this case to identify all persons associated with the cross-border network, he said.

Sharing details of first operation, AIG Sukhminder Singh Mann said that CI Amritsar teams had received a reliable input that suspects Sunil and Rajan had received a huge consignment of illegal pistols and are expected to deliver them to their associate Pardeep Singh in the area of village Nurpur in Amritsar. Acting swiftly, police teams intercepted trio and recovered seven pistols from their possession, he said.

In another operation, the AIG said that teams from SSOC Amritsar apprehended Inderpal, Sikanderjit and Happy Singh after recovering 2.9 kg heroin and one pistol from their possession.

AIG Sukhminder Mann said that comprehensive investigations are currently underway to unearth the full scale of the network. More arrests and recoveries are likely in coming days, he added. In this regard, two separate cases have been registered at Police Station SSOC Amritsar.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH