Amritsar: In a major breakthrough under the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to make Punjab a safer state, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police has busted a cross-border illegal arms smuggling module and arrested three accused persons with six modern pistols.
Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said that the arrested accused have been identified as Mangal Singh alias Manga (30), resident of village Kajikot in Tarn Taran; Pranav Sharma alias Laddoo (24), resident of Orchid Valley, Chheharta, Amritsar; and Gaurav Rana (25), resident of Guru Nanak Avenue, Amritsar.
Police have recovered two China-made .30 bore pistols, one Zigana .30 bore pistol, and three additional .30 bore pistols from their possession.
According to DGP Gaurav Yadav, preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were in contact with Pakistan-based smugglers through social media platforms. The illegal weapons were being sent across the border via drones, and the accused were further distributing them to criminal elements in Punjab.
He added that further investigation is underway to trace backward and forward linkages to dismantle the entire network involved in the smuggling racket.
Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that acting on reliable intelligence inputs, police first arrested Mangal Singh with one pistol. Based on his disclosure, co-accused Pranav Sharma and Gaurav Rana were arrested, and five more pistols were recovered from their possession.
He further stated that both Pranav Sharma and Gaurav Rana have criminal backgrounds and are already facing cases under the Arms Act. They are also wanted in a robbery case registered at Police Station Ranjit Avenue.
An FIR No. 54 dated 04-04-2026 has been registered at Police Station Chhauni, Amritsar, under Sections 25 (6,7,8) of the Arms Act.
