Amidst the ongoing special drives to ensure peaceful celebrations of forthcoming Independence Day-2024, Punjab Police’s State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) has busted a cross-border smuggling module with the arrest of two suspects from Chabal in Tarn Taran, recovering sophisticated weapons from their possession.

Sharing details, the state Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on Tuesday said that those arrested have been identified as Jatinder Singh, a resident of village Thatha in Tarn Taran; and Navtej Singh, a resident of Muhawa, now village Thatha, in Tarn Taran. Police have also recovered four 9MM Glock pistols (small factor) along with four magazines from their possession and also impounded the Honda Delux motorcycle bearing registration number PB76A8099, on which they were travelling.

DGP Yadav said that SSOC Amritsar had received an intel-input about the involvement of accused Jatinder Singh and his associate Navtej Singh in cross-border smuggling of illegal weapons.

“Input further elaborated that suspects are in touch with various Pak-based smugglers and had recently procured a consignment of smuggled weapons, which they are going to deliver to a party near Baba Budha ji Charitable Hospital near Chabal, Tarn Taran on their motorcycle,” he said, adding that acting swiftly on the input, the team of SSOC Amritsar cordoned off the specified area in a planned manner and apprehended both the accused persons and recovered the weapon consignment.

DGP Yadav said that during preliminary investigations, it was discovered that both accused have been receiving consignments of illegal weapons sent through drones by their cross-border handlers.

Sharing more details, AIG SSOC Amritsar Sukhminder Singh Mann said that further investigations are being conducted to determine past smuggling activities orchestrated by both the accused persons.