Amritsar police bust cross-border arms-drugs network, arrest 7 including Afghan national

Seven individuals, including an Afghan national, have been arrested and a juvenile apprehended in a joint operation by the Amritsar Commissionerate Police and a central agency, officials said on Thursday. The operation unearthed a cross-border network involved in the smuggling of weapons and narcotics.

Police seized 10 pistols and other firearms, 5.048 kilograms of heroin, and Rs 30.38 lakh in hawala money, while also impounding a motorcycle. The recovered weapons included one 9mm UZI submachine gun, one 9mm Ghaffar submachine gun, four 9mm Glock pistols, one 9mm Zigana Sport pistol, one Cold King Commando semi-automatic pistol (.30 bore), one Scorpion Zigana Tisas pistol (.30 bore), and one .30 bore pistol.

Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said, “Preliminary investigation has revealed that the accused were allegedly linked to foreign-based handlers operating through social media platforms.” The statement indicates a potential nexus between local operatives and international criminal networks using online channels to coordinate illegal activities.

The arrested Afghan national was identified as Jagjit Singh, also known as Jaggi, aged 40, a native of Jalalabad in Afghanistan, currently residing in Tilak Nagar, New Delhi. The other accused were identified as Jaspreet Singh (21) of Khurmanian, Gopal Sharma (21) of Amritsar, Aniket Sahota (21) of Ram Nagar Colony, Prabhjeet Singh (26) of Gumtala Colony, and Rajbir Singh (22) of Maqboolpura.

The operation highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to disrupt cross-border smuggling routes that bring weapons and drugs into India. Further investigations are underway to trace the origins of the seized items and the broader network involved.