Inter-state arms smuggling module busted in Amritsar, six held

The CIA staff of the Amritsar city police have arrested six persons and confiscated five illegal countrymade pistols from their possession.

Those arrested were identified as Balram Sharma (35), Mansu Gill (19), Rajbir Singh of (30), Balnaz Singh (24), Gursewak Singh (24) and Kahna Mehta (20).

Police Commissioner Gupreet Singh Bhullar said they were arrested by the police during a week-long operation. The police confiscated three .32 bore pistols, a .12 bore pistol and an air gun from their possession. “Balram Sharma and his associates used to source illegal arms from other states, including Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, and then supply to various criminal elements, who were involved in firing incidents and also extort money,” said Bhullar, while adding that a case under the Arms Act has been registered against them at the Sadar police station.

Balram was booked in three criminal cases, including that of murder bid, at Amritsar and Kapurthala. The Police Commissioner said further investigations were in progress to uncover backward and forward links in this network besides tracing the origins of these illegal arms and identifying their recipients. More arrests and recoveries were likely to be made during the probe, he added.