In a significant operation, Khanna police in Ludhiana district, Punjab, announced on Thursday the dismantling of two gangs involved in the illegal arms trade. Ten individuals were apprehended, and a cache of 22 weapons was seized, including the arrest of a weapons manufacturer from Madhya Pradesh. The crackdown resulted in the registration of two separate FIRs under various sections of the Arms Act at the City-1 and City-2 police stations in Khanna.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amneet Kondal revealed that the arrests and weapon recoveries were part of an ongoing special drive targeting criminals engaged in arms trafficking. Inspector Amandeep Singh, in charge of the Crime Investigating Agency (CIA) staff, led the operation and successfully apprehended the 10 suspects while recovering the cache of 22 weapons.
On December 1, the Khanna City-1 police station team detained Gurlal Singh and Mandeep Singh based on suspicions. Upon inspecting their backpacks, four country-made .32 bore pistols and magazines were discovered. Further investigation unveiled that the weapons were acquired from Rakshit Sahni of Amritsar, who had been previously arrested on November 25.
Sahni, implicated in the case, revealed during interrogation that he had procured the weapons from Abhinav Mishra alias Anuj of Pilibhit in UP, currently residing in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh. A special team dispatched to Madhya Pradesh successfully recovered pistols from Mishra and Kamal Badole. Both were arrested along with Kuldeep Singh of Dhar, MP, for their involvement in the arms trade.
Mishra, a proclaimed offender in a Jalandhar FIR, had a history of supplying weapons in Punjab. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Singh, identified as a weapons manufacturer from MP, had a criminal record with over 10 FIRs in Arms Act cases against his father, Prahlad Singh.
In a separate incident, Khanna CIA staff intercepted Tejinder Singh alias Sabi and Arjinder Singh alias Joban, seizing three and two pistols, respectively. Further investigation led to the apprehension of Rajanpreet Singh alias Rajan and Baljinder Singh, with an additional pistol recovered. The operation showcased the authorities’ commitment to tackling illegal arms networks operating within the region.
