3 foreign-made weapons seized in Moga, Faridkot

In a growing concern for public safety, law enforcement agencies have uncovered a disturbing trend of semi-automatic weapons reaching criminals.

These firearms, including high-power Glock pistols, are being supplied to youth by terrorists and gangsters with an aim to intimidate those who refuse to pay extortion money and witnesses in high-profile cases.

In the last week, cops in Faridkot and Moga have seized three semi-automatic Glock pistols and 48 cartridges. The weapons were seized during separate operations in both districts, as part of ongoing efforts to crackdown on illegal arms trade and curb criminal activity linked to organised gangs.

“These weapons are not just being used for petty crimes but to intimidate people on a large scale — whether it’s for extortion, settling scores or even silencing witnesses of serious crimes,” a senior police officer explained.

The police are looking into possible links between local gangs and international criminal networks involved in smuggling weapons into the region.

In the first case, on November 30, the Faridkot police arrested Sachin Kushwaha, a resident of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. Two 9 mm Glock pistols and 30 cartridges were seized from him. After interrogation, the police also arrested a resident of Chugawan village, who had given shelter to Sachin.

When both of them were taken on police remand and interrogated, it was revealed that their target was a resident of Kot Ise Khan, a witness of National Investigation Agency (NIA) in a case against some gangsters.

Last week, the Moga police arrested five persons and recovered a 7.65 mm foreign-made pistol, two magazines and 18 cartridges from them.

Sources revealed that both the arrests made by the Moga and Faridkot police were interlinked.

The authorities are also focusing on the broader issue of transnational criminal activity with terror groups and criminal syndicates using illicit means to fuel violence in Punjab.

The recovery of such weapons has prompted a series of heightened security measures in both Faridkot and Moga, with police increasing surveillance and patrolling to prevent further spread of illegal arms, said a senior officer of the Moga police.