Amritsar: In a major breakthrough, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police have uncovered a significant cross-border arms smuggling network with suspected links to Pakistan, arresting seven people and recovering a large cache of sophisticated weapons.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Shamsher Singh alias Sima, Amandeep Singh alias Bobby, Balwinder Singh alias Kaka, Gurdev Singh, Karanpreet Singh, Harman Singh, and one juvenile — all residents of Amritsar. During the operation, police seized 15 high-end pistols, including nine Glock 9mm handguns and six .30 bore pistols.
According to officials, the operation was intelligence-led and targeted a network suspected of smuggling weapons across the Punjab border. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were in constant contact with a Pakistan-based handler through social media platforms. They were allegedly involved in the procurement and distribution of illegal firearms within the state.
FIRs have been lodged at the Cantonment Police Station in Amritsar, and further investigation is underway to identify the broader network — including both supply sources across the border and potential local facilitators.
Commissionerate officials said that the arrests mark a crucial step in dismantling a wider nexus of organised crime and illicit arms trade in Punjab. The police are also probing whether the weapons were intended for criminal syndicates operating within or outside the state.
Reaffirming the Punjab Police’s commitment to maintaining law and order, an official statement said, “The department remains steadfast in its resolve to curb the menace of illegal arms and dismantle cross-border smuggling networks that threaten the peace and security of the state.”
The successful operation underscores the growing cooperation between intelligence units and local law enforcement in countering transnational criminal activity along the Indo-Pak border.
