Amritsar Police has broken up a cross-border arms and explosives smuggling module in a raid that led to the arrest of five people and the recovery of a substantial weapons haul, according to Punjab Police. The operation, carried out by the Counter Intelligence wing of Amritsar Police on October 15, 2026, is linked to suspected drone drops across the international border.
What Police Recovered
Officials said the seized material included one .30-bore assault rifle, two hand grenades, 13 foreign-made pistols — four 9mm Glocks and nine .30-bore pistols — and 25 live cartridges. Two motorcycles, which police say were used to transport the consignments, were also impounded.
Who Has Been Arrested
The accused have been identified as Gurpreet Singh and his son Jaskaran Singh, both residents of Ballarwal village in Ajnala, Amritsar district; Veenu of Sagarpur in Batala; Amritpal Singh of Rasulpur village in Batala; and Gaurav Masih of Gounspura village in Batala.
How the Module Operated, As Claimed by Police
Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the Counter Intelligence unit acted on specific intelligence indicating that Gurpreet Singh and Jaskaran Singh were in regular contact with a foreign-based smuggler. According to the police version, the two were receiving weapons, ammunition and explosives dropped by drones and then passing them on to the other three accused for further movement and distribution.
The tip-off also suggested that the two would meet Veenu, Amritpal Singh and Gaurav Masih near Teri village in Ajnala to hand over the consignment. Police teams moved in at the location and apprehended all five accused along with the recovered material. Preliminary investigation, as cited by police, indicates the foreign-based smuggler used encrypted communication platforms to coordinate the activity and avoid detection.
Legal Action and Next Steps
An FIR, No. 66, dated October 15, 2026, has been registered at the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) police station in Amritsar under Sections 25 and 25(1-A) of the Arms Act, Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act, and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Gaurav Yadav said further investigation is underway to trace the wider network, establish backward and forward linkages, and identify everyone involved in the smuggling chain. Police also said the operation is part of Punjab Police’s continuing efforts against cross-border trafficking of arms and explosives through drone drops.
Security Context
The seizure comes amid ongoing vigilance by security agencies in Punjab against drone-enabled smuggling of weapons and explosives. Officials said the recovered arsenal was taken out of circulation before it could reach criminal or anti-national elements.
