10 Pistols, Drone-Delivery: Punjab Police Bust Cross-Border Arms Network

Punjab Police's Counter Intelligence wing in Amritsar has busted an alleged illegal arms smuggling network with the arrest of two men and the recovery of 10 pistols, magazines and 10 live cartridges, officials said on Sunday.

The arrested men have been identified as Gurpreet Singh, son of Iqbal Singh, and Gurpreet Singh, son of Gulzar Singh, both residents of Hawellian village in Tarn Taran district.

The recovered weapons include nine 9 mm pistols and one .30 bore pistol. Police also seized a grey Bajaj Platina motorcycle, bearing registration number PB-38-C-1658, which was allegedly being used to transport the arms.

Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said a preliminary investigation indicated that the accused were allegedly in contact with a foreign-based handler and were receiving illegal arms consignments from across the border for further distribution in Punjab.

According to the DGP, Counter Intelligence, Amritsar, received information that the two accused had allegedly received a large consignment of weapons through a drone near Hawellian village, close to the India-Pakistan border fencing.

The suspects were allegedly instructed by their foreign-based handler to collect the consignment and deliver the weapons to another party in Punjab.

Acting on the information, CI Amritsar teams intercepted the two men near Khasa village on the Amritsar-Attari GT Road. Police said 10 pistols, along with magazines and live cartridges, were recovered from their possession.

The investigation is now focused on establishing the wider network allegedly involved in the arms smuggling operation. Police are attempting to identify other accomplices and trace both the forward and backward linkages of the alleged cross-border supply chain.

A case, FIR No. 51 dated August 22, 2026, has been registered at the State Special Operation Cell police station in Amritsar under Sections 25, 25(1)(A) and 25(8) of the Arms Act and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The accused remain under investigation.