Amritsar : 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 Inspector General of Police (IGP) Border Range Gurpreet Singh Bhullar while talking to media persons 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, said he.
He 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.
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.