A local de-addiction centre operator is among two individuals arrested by the Amritsar Commissionerate Police for running a cross-border illegal arms smuggling module, Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Wednesday.
The operation yielded seven sophisticated pistols and 40 live cartridges, including a 9mm Glock, a .30-bore Tisas Turkiye, a .30-bore special modified pistol, and four standard .30-bore pistols.
The suspects have been identified as Gulbagh Singh, alias Batth, 26, who operates a de-addiction centre on Bhai Manj Singh Road in Sultanwind, and Surjit Singh, alias Rana, 33, a resident of Sur Singh village in Tarn Taran.
Preliminary investigations reveal that the duo used social media applications to communicate with foreign-based smugglers, receiving illicit weapon consignments through cross-border routes for distribution to criminal elements.
Amritsar commissioner of police Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said police teams acted on reliable intelligence to initially apprehend the suspects with two pistols. During subsequent interrogation, the disclosures made by the arrested men led to the recovery of five more sophisticated weapons.
A verification of criminal antecedents revealed that Surjit Singh is already wanted in a commercial-quantity narcotics case registered at Bhikhiwind police station in Tarn Taran, highlighting his ongoing involvement in organised crime.
A case has been registered under FIR number 141, dated June 24, 2026, under Sections 25 (6, 7, 8) of the Arms Act at the Sultanwind police station. Further investigation is underway to map out backward and forward linkages to dismantle the illegal arms supply chain, with more arrests and recoveries expected in the coming days.
