Chandigarh, Nov 10 (IANS) In a major intelligence-led operation, Punjab Police’s State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Amritsar has averted potential targeted killings in the state with the arrest of four members of a gangster module and recovered two sophisticated weapons from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Monday.

Those arrested have been identified as Jagpreet Singh, alias Jagga, Mohammad Singh, Lavish Nahar, and Amarbir Singh.

The recovered weapons include one 9MM Glock pistol with a magazine and five cartridges, and one .30 bore Star Mark pistol with a magazine and three cartridges.

DGP Yadav said preliminary investigations have revealed that the arrested accused were in close contact with a Portugal-based wanted gangster and were working under his direction.

The foreign-based handler was the one who had arranged the delivery of the weapons recovered in this case, he said.

“Probe has further disclosed that the accused had conducted a recce of specific targets in the Batala and Amritsar area, and the recovered sophisticated weapons were meant to hit those targets,” said the DGP, while adding that important leads regarding the gang’s activities are being investigated.

Sharing operational details, Assistant Inspector General Sukhminder Singh Mann said the module was busted based on specific input, following which police teams from Amritsar have arrested the accused from Amritsar.

He said that investigations have also revealed that at the behest of their foreign-based handler, the arrested people had transported weapons and money on multiple occasions.

Further investigations are underway to trace all backward and forward linkages, he added. In this regard, a case FIR No. 66 dated November 9 has been registered under Section 25 of the Arms Act and Section 61 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Police Station State Special Operation Cell in Amritsar.

–IANS

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