In a major breakthrough amidst the ongoing drive to make Punjab a safe and secure state as per the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Counter Intelligence (CI) Ferozepur in a joint operation with State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Fazilka have busted cross-border organised arms smuggling module near the Indo–Pak International Border with the arrest of two weapon suppliers and recovered 27 sophisticated .30 bore pistols along with 470 live cartridges from from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Thursday.
Those arrested have been identified as Mangal Singh alias Mangali, a resident of Tejha Rahela in Fazilka and Gurmeet Singh, a resident of village Muhar Jamsher in Fazilka. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that preliminary investigation has revealed that this huge weapon consignment was sourced from Pakistan through a foreign-based entity, intended for use by criminal gangs in the state.
The arrested accused were attempting to deliver these arms to ground operatives of criminal groups on the directions of their foreign handlers, he said. The DGP said that further investigations are being conducted to establish forward and backward linkages to identify other members involved in this module and track the origins of the smuggled weapons.
Sharing operation details, AIG CI Ferozepur Gursewak Singh Brar said that acting upon reliable inputs, the Police teams of CI Ferozepur and SSOC Fazilka jointly launched a joint secret operation in the Fazilka area. During the operation, two suspected individuals were apprehended near village Muhar Jamsher, close to the Indo-Pak International fencing, in Fazilka, and recovered a large cache of 27 illegal firearms of .30 bore along with 470 live cartridges from their possession, he said.
The AIG said that the identity and role of the foreign entity, along with its broader network, are under comprehensive investigation. In this regard, a case FIR No. 16 dated 11-09-2025 had been registered under section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station SSOC Fazilka.