48 foreign-made pistols, ammo seized, suspected militant held
Was operating on directions of Usa-based handler linked with prokhalistani elements and Pak terror outfits
AMRITSAR: Punjab Police on Thursday night seized a huge cache of foreign-made pistols and arrested a weapons smuggler allegedly linked with Pakistan-based terror outfits and pro-khalistani elements based in USA, Canada and UK. He was operating on the directions of a Usa-based handler, said police.
The weapons were meant for carrying out terrorist activities across the country, Punjab director general of police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said on Friday.
“Jagjit Singh alias Jaggu, 25, of Purian Kalan village in Batala, was arrested from near Kathunangal, Amritsar, on Thursday night by a team of Punjab internal security wing, State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar,” Gupta said.
According to an official release, the State Special Operation Cell intercepted an i-20 car (PB-06-AN-7016) at a naka (checkpoint) on the Amritsarbatala road at Kathunangal village
and two nylon bags containing 48 foreign-made pistols, along with magazines and ammunition were recovered.
The cache included Turkey made 19 Zigana pistols (9mm), 37 magazines and 45 rounds; nine made in China pistols of .30 bore and 22 magazines; 19 star mark pistols of .30 bore, 38 magazines and 148 rounds; and an Italian Baretta pistol of 9mm and two magazines, according to the release.
The DGP said a case under Sections 13, 17, 18, 18-B, 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and 120, 120-B of the IPC and 25 of the Arms Act has been registered. Further investigation is on to unearth the whole nexus, he said.
The DGP said preliminary investigations revealed that Jagjit had been directed by Darmanjit Singh, alias Darman Kahlon, a former gangster based in USA, to collect the weapon consignment. “During his stay in Dubai from 2017 to 2020, Jagjit had been in touch with Darman, who motivated him to work for him,” he said.
“The mastermind of the smuggling racket, Darman, had reportedly tasked Jagjit to collect and conceal the weapon consignment and wait for further instructions,” said the DGP, adding, “open-ended warrants of Darman, a proclaimed offender in Punjab, have been obtained.”
“Darman, who originally belonged to Talwandi Khumman village in Amritsar, was involved in various criminal activities in Punjab before escaping to the USA in 2017. He facilitated the escape of gangster Harwinder Singh, alias Mannu, from police custody in 2017. An FIR was registered on June 12, 2017, at the Batala Civil Lines police station and Darman was declared a proclaimed offender in January 2020,” the release said.
During his stay in America in 2020, Darman funded a criminal group in Punjab with Rs 2 lakh to purchase illegal weapons for carrying out anti-india activities, the release said, adding 10 members of his group were arrested by the Amritsar special operation cell and seven pistols were recovered from their possession. An FIR in this regard was registered on November 10, 2020, at the special operation cell police station, Amritsar.
Punjab Police has have busted 44 terror modules over the last four years, said the DGP.