Teen Among Four Held as Punjab Police Crack Down on Drone-Fed Arms Smuggling Network
Pakistan-based handlers were using drones to drop weapon consignments near Attari border, with local operatives retrieving and distributing the haul to contacts across the region
Amritsar Commissionerate Police have arrested four individuals — among them a 16-year-old with a documented criminal history — and recovered seven sophisticated pistols in a significant blow to a cross-border illegal arms smuggling network with direct links to Pakistan, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav announced in Chandigarh on Wednesday.
The Operation
Acting on intelligence, police teams moved in on the module and apprehended three accused in the initial raid — Gurwinder Singh alias Ginder (32) and Jobanbir Singh alias Joban (23), both from village Laddhewal in Amritsar, and Lovepreet Singh alias Love from village Bhuse in Tarn Taran. Six pistols were recovered from their possession on the spot. A fourth associate, later identified as the juvenile, managed to flee during the operation but was tracked down and arrested the following day, with one more pistol recovered from him.
A case has been registered under FIR No. 72, dated April 2, 2026, under Section 25(8) of the Arms Act at Police Station Chheharta, Amritsar. A motorcycle used by the accused has also been impounded.
Weapons Arsenal Seized
The recovered cache comprised seven pistols of varied origins and calibres — two .30 bore PX5 Storm, two .30 bore made in Italy, one .30 bore made in China, one .30 bore pistol, and one 9MM made in Austria — along with 12 live cartridges, pointing to a well-supplied and organised supply chain.
Pakistan-Based Handlers, Drone Delivery
DGP Yadav said preliminary investigations established that the accused were in regular contact with Pakistan-based smugglers via social media platforms. The weapons were being ferried across the border using drones, with drops made in the Attari sector near villages Bhaini and Neshta. The local operatives would then retrieve the consignments from pre-designated locations assigned by their handlers and pass them on to contacts within Punjab.
Authorities are now working to establish both forward and backward linkages to dismantle the full network.
A Juvenile Repeat Offender
Commissioner of Police Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, expressed particular concern over the juvenile’s profile, noting that the teenager already faces a prior case under the Arms Act at Police Station Gharinda, Amritsar Rural, in which three pistols had been recovered from him earlier. Both Gurwinder Singh and Lovepreet Singh also carry prior criminal records under the NDPS Act, suggesting the module was composed of habitual offenders embedded in the local criminal ecosystem.
Broader Context
The arrests are part of the Punjab government’s sustained crackdown on organised crime and cross-border smuggling, being carried out under the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to strengthen law and order across the state. Officials indicated that further arrests are likely as the investigation progresses.
