The Punjab police arrested two operatives handled from abroad by the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) after a brief encounter, said DGP Punjab Police Gaurav Yadav in a post on X on Thursday. One of the accused received a bullet injury in his leg and the police took him to a nearby hospital.
"SAS Nagar Police in a joint operation with Batala Police busts a module and arrested its 2 operatives handled from abroad by the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). They were involved in various killings," the post read.
ISI-backed terror module operated by Harvinder Rinda and his associates, who were recruiting youngsters by providing funds in their bank accounts and smuggled foreign arms from the border area with the help of drones, he added.
The police recovered 4 pistols and 10 live cartridges from their possession.
Punjab Police launches crackdown on drugs, arms smugglers
Earlier, Punjab Police on December 31 claimed to have busted a cross-border drug and arms smuggling racket being operated by USA-based smuggler Mannu Mahawa with the arrest of two persons from Amritsar.
State police chief Gaurav Yadav said the two arrested have been identified as Sandeep Singh and Roshan. Police teams have also seized 19 kg of heroin, Rs 23 lakh drug money, seven pistols, including a sophisticated 9mm Glock, Pakistan-stamped ammunition, currency counting machine and drone equipment, including a remote controller and spare fans, the top police officer said.
Besides, a car in which the two arrested accused were going to supply the heroin consignment has been impounded, he said in an official statement.
Yadav said that preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused were directly in touch with USA-based smuggler Mannu Mahawa and were supplying heroin across the state after smuggling those from Pakistan.
Amritsar Commissionerate Police teams were also investigating hawala links and property details to get them frozen, the DGP added.
Sharing details of the operation, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said police teams had received information that associates of Mannu Mahawa had retrieved the heroin consignment sent by Pakistan-based smugglers and were on the way to deliver it to someone.
Following this, police teams conducted a special checking operation in an area in Amritsar district and arrested both the accused while they were waiting for someone to deliver the consignment, Bhullar said. The police officer said that efforts were being made to ascertain the total quantity of narcotics and weapons procured by the arrested accused so far. A case has been registered under the provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Arms Act.
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