The Amritsar Police arrested an Afghanistan national among four persons while busting a cross-border drug and arms peddling and hawala network. It recovered eight sophisticated pistols along with seven live cartridges from them.
Director General Punjab police Gaurav Yadav, while sharing the information on X (formerly Twitter), said the preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused were allegedly in contact with a foreign-based smuggler who supplied consignments of illegal weapons through concealed drop locations. The sophisticated firearms were reportedly destined for criminal elements and gangsters operating in Punjab and were being distributed through a well-organised network, he added.
The police suspect that the smuggling operation was linked to both illegal arms trafficking and hawala transactions, indicating the involvement of an international criminal syndicate. The cops are examining financial transactions and communication records to uncover the full extent of the network.
This is the second instance in which an Afghanistan national has been arrested by the police in cross-border smuggling. Three days ago, the police claimed to have arrested Baaz Mohammad (Afghan national) along with five others recovering five pistols, over 1kg heroin and Rs 5 lakh of drug money.
Separate FIRs have been registered at Police Station Islamabad and Police Station Gate Hakima here. Further investigations are underway to establish linkages, identify additional associates connected to the foreign-based handlers and recover more illegal weapons.
