Hindustan Times (Amritsar)

KZF MODULE: MISSING PARTS OF DRONE RECOVERED

KZF MODULE Parts of device were found in a nearby godown in Chabhal town few days ago

- Anil Sharma anil.kumar@htlive.com ■

AMRITSAR : A week busting a Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) module in Tarn Taran,. the police on Sunday recovered missing parts of the drone that was used to smuggle weapons across the border. The drone parts were found in DodeChhapa canal in Chabhal town, around 35km from the Tarn Taran district headquarte­rs. Ten Punjab Police divers had been searching for the parts since Thursday. Police had arrested five Khalistani operatives and recovered five AK-47 rifles, hand grenades and satellite phones from them.

10 PUNJAB POLICE DIVERS HAD BEEN DEPLOYED FOR

THE SEARCH OF PARTS SINCE THURSDAY

AMRITSAR :A week after a Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) module smuggling weapons through a drone was busted, police on Sunday recovered the missing parts of the device from the Dode-Chhapa canal near Chabhal town, around 35km from Tarn Taran district headquarte­rs. Ten Punjab Police divers had been searching for the parts since Thursday.

With the arrest of Balwant Singh, alias Baba, alias Nihang, Akashdeep Singh, alias Akash Randhawa, Harbhajan Singh and Balbir Singh from Chola Sahib village in Tarn Taran last Sunday, police had recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition, including five AK-47 rifles, hand grenades, satellite phones and fake currency from them.

The module, backed by the Pakistan and Germany-based terror group, was conspiring to unleash a series of terror strikes, police had said.

The other half of the drone had been recovered from a godown in Chabal town of Tarn Taran on September 24 (Tuesday). Police claim that the drone was set on fire to hide evidence, after the machine did not work when the accused wanted to send it back across the border.

Preliminar­y investigat­ion had revealed that Maan Singh, lodged in Amritsar Jail in an Arms Act and also under an Unlawful Activities (Prevention Act) UAPA case had recruited 20-year-old Akashdeep Singh, when they had been lodged together in Amritsar jail.

This was done at the behest of his Germany-based handler Gurmeet Singh, alias Bagga, police have said.

Later, Bagga’s brother Gurdev Singh and one Shubdeep Singh were arrested in the case. All seven accused are in police custody till October 3.

“A half-burnt drone was found from a godown in Chabhal on Tuesday. Our investigat­ion showed that some parts were missing. During interrogat­ion, the accused confessed to have thrown some parts of the drone, after burning, into the canal. These parts have been recovered and will be sent to the National Technical Research Organisati­on for examinatio­n,” said a police officer privy to the investigat­ion.

AMRITSAR CENTRAL JAIL ALSO SEARCHED

On Saturday, police searched the Amritsar Central jail, where three of the accused, Maan Singh, Akashdeep and Gurdev Singh, had hatched the conspiracy to receive weapons from across the border.

An investigat­or said, “A search operation was launched in the barracks where Maan Singh was lodged. The barracks of Akashdeep and Gurdev Singh were also searched.”

Sources said the investigat­ion team planned to take possession of mobile phones recovered over the past few months from this jail to zero in on the device used to plan the conspiracy for clues.

 ??  ?? Police claim that the drone was set on fire to destroy evidence. The recovered parts were sent for forensic examinatio­n. HT PHOTO
Police claim that the drone was set on fire to destroy evidence. The recovered parts were sent for forensic examinatio­n. HT PHOTO

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