Encrypted Platforms Used to Evade Police Detection, Says Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav

CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR: Punjab Police have arrested five people, including a father-son duo, and seized an assault rifle, two hand grenades and 13 foreign-made pistols while busting an alleged cross-border arms and explosives smuggling module in Amritsar, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Thursday.

The operation was conducted by Counter Intelligence (CI), Amritsar, as part of the Punjab government’s drive, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, to strengthen the state’s security.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Gurpreet Singh and his son Jaskaran Singh, residents of Ballarwal village in Ajnala, Amritsar; Veenu, from Sagarpur in Batala; Amritpal Singh, from Rasulpur village in Batala; and Gaurav Masih, from Gounspura village in Batala.

The police recovered one .30-bore assault rifle, two hand grenades, four 9mm Glock pistols, nine .30-bore pistols and 25 live cartridges. Two motorcycles, a Honda Livo and a Hero Splendor, allegedly used to transport the consignments, were also impounded.

According to DGP Gaurav Yadav, Counter Intelligence officials received specific intelligence that Gurpreet Singh and Jaskaran Singh were in regular contact with a foreign-based smuggler. The duo allegedly retrieved drone-dropped consignments of arms, ammunition and explosives from across the border on the smuggler’s instructions and arranged their further distribution through the other accused.

The intelligence input indicated that the father-son duo was scheduled to meet Veenu, Amritpal Singh and Gaurav Masih near Teri village in Ajnala to deliver the consignment. Acting on the information, CI Amritsar teams raided the designated location and apprehended all five suspects, recovering the weapons and explosives, the DGP said.

Preliminary investigations have indicated that the foreign-based smuggler allegedly used encrypted communication platforms to coordinate the movement of consignments and evade police detection.

Further investigations are underway to identify the wider smuggling network, establish its forward and backward linkages, and trace all those involved in the operation.

A case has been registered as FIR No. 66, dated October 15, 2026, at the Police Station, State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar. The case has been filed under Sections 25 and 25(1-A) of the Arms Act, Sections 4 and 5 of the Explosive Substances Act, and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).