CHANDIGARH, August 16: In a major blow to illegal arms smuggling amidst the ongoing drive to make a safe and secure state as per directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) SAS Nagar has apprehended one person for running an inter-state organised arms smuggling racket and recovered four .32 bore pistols from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Friday.
“They have identified the accused.”
The arrested accused has been identified as Vinod Kumar alias Rahul, a resident of Giyaspura in Ludhiana. The latter has a criminal background with cases pertaining to theft and snatching registered against him.
DGP Gaurav Yadav said that SSOC Amritsar received secret information that accused Vinod, involved in supplying illegal arms and ammunition from Madhya Pradesh to Punjab, was going to Kharar from Ludhiana to deliver the weapon consignment to criminal elements.
Acting swiftly, police team from SSOC laid a trap and successfully apprehended accused Vinod Kumar from near Toll Plaza in Gharuan Kharar and recovered two .32 bore pistols from his possession, he said, while adding that further investigation has resulted in recovery of two more .32 bore pistols from pinpointed location revealed by the accused.
smuggling racket : supplying illegal arms in Punjab
The DGP said that apart from supplying illegal arms in Punjab, the accused was also providing logistical assistance to various gangs. Further investigations are on to establish backward and forward linkages to uncover the entire network, he added.
Sharing more details, DIG Counter Intelligence J Elanchezian said that preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested accused, while being in Ludhiana Jail came in contact with gangsters sitting inside and outside jail, and now he was working for them to retrieve the weapon consignment from Madhya Pradesh and deliver them to various gangs operational in the state.
smuggled two heavy illegal arms
During interrogation, the arrested accused also disclosed that in last one month he has smuggled two heavy illegal arms consignments which he retrieved from village Jasondi, Burhanpur, Madhya Pradesh and delivered both in Mohali area, he added.
“In this regard, the police have registered FIR No. 15 dated 13.08.2024 under Section 25 of the Arms Act and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station SSOC, SAS Nagar.”
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