Three Arrested with Eight Pistols in Cross-Border Arms Smuggling Case Linked to Pakistan

Amritsar (Gurpreet Singh): Acting on a piece of credible intelligence, the Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar team has arrested three individuals involved in cross-border arms smuggling from Pakistan. Officials recovered eight modern pistols during the operation, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav confirmed.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Mahesh alias Ashu Masih and Angrej Singh, both residents of Mari Megha village in Tarn Taran, and Arshdeep Singh, a resident of Bhikhiwind, Tarn Taran. The seized weapons include three 9mm pistols and five .30 bore pistols, along with their magazines. Police also confiscated their motorcycle, which was being used to deliver the weapon consignment.

According to DGP Yadav, CI Amritsar received intelligence inputs about a large cache of illegal arms being smuggled across the India-Pakistan border using drones. The consignment was allegedly dropped in the Mari Kamboke area under Khalra Police Station, Tarn Taran district. Acting swiftly, the CI team intercepted the accused near village Bhuse, in Amritsar Rural, and arrested them with the arms consignment, which they were reportedly transporting to deliver near Gharinda, Amritsar.

DGP Yadav added that Mahesh alias Ashu Masih and Angrej Singh were already wanted in previous cases registered under the Arms Act in Amritsar. He confirmed that further investigation is underway to trace the broader network involved in the cross-border smuggling operation.

A case has been registered at the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, under Sections 25, 25(1A), and 25(1B) of the Arms Act, along with Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).