— FOREIGN-BASED HANDLERS FACILITATED SUPPLY OF ILLEGAL WEAPONS FOR FURTHER DISTRIBUTION AMONG CRIMINAL ELEMENTS: DGP GAURAV YADAV
— PROBE ON TO ESTABLISH FORWARD AND BACKWARD LINKAGES IN THIS CASE: IGP BORDER RANGE GURPREET BHULLAR
CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, November 5:
In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per the directives of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Rural Police has dismantled multiple illegal arms, explosives, and drug supply networks and also solved three firing incidents with the arrest of 16 individuals across eight coordinated operations resulting in recovery of 34 kg heroin, two hand grenades and eight weapons including two sophisticated 9MM Uzi sub-machine guns from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.
Apart from UZI guns, police teams have also recovered one 12-bore firearm and five illegal pistols along with 26 live cartridges from their possession.
Those arrested in the narcotics and arms modules have been identified as Navsumit Singh alias Manpreet Singh and Balwinder Singh alias Dohani; Karandeep Singh alias Karan and Raj Kumar alias Sanju; Gurbakhash Singh and Bikramjit Singh; Suraj Singh, Rajan, and Gurbhej Singh alias Veru; and Sukhmanpreet Singh. While, those apprehended in connection with the three firing incidents include Harkirat Singh alias Haky and Gurdita Singh (Jhita Kalan murder case); Jodhbir Singh alias Jodha, his wife Jaskiran Kaur, and their minor son (Beas firing case); and Sahibpreet Singh alias Sahab (Mehta restaurant extortion firing case).
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were allegedly in contact with foreign-based handlers who facilitated the supply of illegal weapons for further distribution among criminal elements. Further investigation is underway to establish backward and forward linkages and identify other individuals involved in the network, he said.
Sharing operational details, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Border Range Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that the targeted crackdowns were executed through sustained intelligence-led operations across various police stations of Amritsar Rural.
In four major drug busts, the IGP said that Police Station Gharinda teams seized 10 kg heroin from Navsumit and Balwinder; 1 kg heroin from Karandeep and Raj Kumar; and 10.018 kg heroin from Gurbakhash and Bikramjit. In another joint operation with Border Security Force BSF at Pul Sakki Nala in Lopoke jurisdiction, police teams nabbed Sukhmanpreet Singh carrying a sack containing 13 kg heroin, one pistol, and two magazines.
In the arms and explosives bust, he said that acting swiftly on reliable inputs, Police Station Gharinda teams apprehended Suraj Singh, Rajan, and Gurbhej Singh and recovered two UZI guns and two live hand grenades from their possession.
Detailing the solved firing incidents, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amritsar Rural Kanwalpreet Singh Chahal said that Police Station Chatiwind teams arrested Harkirat Singh and Gurdita Singh for fatally shooting Tirath Singh and injuring Ranjit Singh over a land dispute at Village Jhita Kalan on October 26, recovering a .30 bore pistol. In the second incident at Beas, police arrested Jodhbir Singh alias Jodha, his wife, and minor son after they fired at and injured two persons over a property dispute; Jodhbir, who scuffled with the police party and tried to snatch an ASI’s service weapon, sustained a gunshot injury to his leg, and police recovered three illegal Glock pistols, one 12-bore firearm, and 10 live cartridges.
In the third incident, the SSP said that police cracked the extortion firing case at a restaurant in Mehta—executed after a ₹1-crore ransom demand— on the behest of a foreign gangster— arresting Sahibpreet Singh alias Sahab, and impounding a motorcycle.
In this regard, eight separate cases— FIR No. 465 dated 29.10.2026 under sections 21-C, 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act; FIR No. 467 dated 30.10.2026 under sections 21-C, 25 and 29 of the NDPS Act; FIR No. 478 dated 03.11.2026 under sections 21-C and 29 of the NDPS Act; FIR No. 481 dated 04.11.2026 under sections 25(1)(A), 25 (6), 25 (7) and 25 (8) Arms Act and sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act, all at Police Station Gharinda; FIR No. 356 dated 15.10.2026 under sections 21-C and 23 of the NDPS Act and section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Lopoke; FIR No. 213/26 under sections 103, 190 and 191 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Chatiwind; FIR No. 338 dated 31-10-26 under section 103 of the BNS and section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Beas; and FIR No. 184 dated 21/10/26 under section 125 of the BNS and section 25 and 27 of the Arms Act at Police Station Mehta— have been registered.
