An inter-state weapon smuggling module was busted with the arrest of two Madhya Pradesh-based arms suppliers, the Punjab Police said on Saturday.
The accused, who were involved in large-scale illegal manufacturing and supply of weapons, were apprehended from Madhya Pradesh by a Counter Intelligence-Jalandhar team, according to a statement issued here. Police seized 17 pistols of .32 bore along with 35 magazines from them.
They were identified as Harpal Singh of Signoor village in Khargone district and Kishore Singh Rathore of Balwari village in Bharwani district in Madhya Pradesh.
"Preliminary investigations revealed that these weapons were meant to be supplied to criminal gangs associated with Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Ravi Balachauria," Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said in the statement.
The development came after the counter intelligence unit arrested a person identified as Lovedeep alias Love from the Maqsudan-Bidhipur Road in Punjab's Jalandhar. A pistol along with two cartridges was seized from him.
The DGP said during investigation, it came to the fore that the seized weapon was part of a consignment from manufacturers and suppliers suspected to be based in Madhya Pradesh's Khargone and Bharwani districts.
Following this input, a team of the Counter Intelligence-Jalandhar went to Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday and managed to trace and arrest the arms suppliers, he said.
Assistant Inspector General, Counter Intelligence, Jalandhar, Navjot Singh Mahal said the operation is still going on and there is a high possibility of more seizure of arms and ammunition.
-With PTI Input
