Punjab Police Busts Drone-Based Arms Smuggling Module; Prisoner Among Two Held

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, October 5, The decisive war against anti-social elements waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has delivered yet another victory after Punjab Police on Wednesday busted a drone-based arms/ammunition smuggling module with the arrest of its two members including a prisoner.

Those arrested have been identified as Jaskaran Singh of Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran, currently lodged at Sub Jail Goindwal Sahib, and Rattanbir Singh of Khemkaran in Tarn Taran, out on bail. The Police have also recovered 10 foreign-made pistols including five .30 bore (made in China) and five 9mm (made in USA Beretta) along with 8 spare magazines from both of them, besides a mobile phone concealed by Jaskaran in his barrack.

AIG Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar Amarjit Singh Bajwa said that accused Jaskaran Singh was brought on a production warrant in a case pertaining to NDPS act, which was registered at SSOC Amritsar in August 2022.

During questioning, Accused Jaskaran confessed that he was using a mobile phone in jail to contact Pak-based smugglers through WhatsApp for smuggling of narcotics and arms/ammunition from Pakistan via drones.

The AIG said that for this purpose the accused was taking the help of Rattanbir, who used to retrieve the consignments dropped via drones from different border areas. Pertinently, Rattanbir is also a co-accused in various NDPS cases with Jaskaran Singh.

He said that one consignment of five .30 bore pistols along with four spare magazines was recovered from the pinpointed location revealed by accused Jaskaran at Village Pidhi on Taran Taran-Ferozepur Road, which was concealed by Rattanbir on the intervening night of September 28 and 29, 2022.

AIG Amarjit Singh Bajwa said that acting on Jaskaran's inputs, the Police teams of Counter Intelligence Amritsar have also managed to arrest Rattanbir from Khemkaran and on his disclosure five more Pistols of 9 MM were recovered along with four spare magazines, which were concealed by him near drain at village Machhike in Khemkaran.

Meanwhile, a case FIR No. 30 dated 04.10.2022 has been registered under section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station SSOC Amritsar.