Chandigarh, Oct 5 (IANS) Punjab Police on Wednesday busted a drone-based arms smuggling module with the arrest of two people, including an undertrial.
The arrested have been identified as Jaskaran Singh, lodged at Sub Jail in Goindwal Sahib, and Rattanbir Singh, who is out on bail.
Police recovered 10 foreign-made pistols, including five .30 bore (made in China) and five 9mm (made in the US) along with eight magazines from both of them, besides a mobile phone concealed by Jaskaran Singh in his barrack.
AIG Counter Intelligence, Amritsar, Amarjit Singh Bajwa said Jaskaran Singh was brought on a production warrant in a case pertaining to the NDPS Act, registered in August.
During questioning, he confessed that he was using a mobile phone in jail to contact Pakistan-based smugglers through WhatsApp for smuggling of narcotics and arms and ammunition from Pakistan via drones.
The AIG said for this purpose the accused was taking the help of Rattanbir Singh, who used to retrieve the consignments dropped via drones from different border areas.
Rattanbir Singh is also a co-accused in various NDPS cases with Jaskaran Singh.
Bajwa said one consignment of five .30 bore pistols along with four magazines was recovered from the location revealed by Jaskaran Singh on the Taran Taran-Ferozepur road, where Rattanbir Singh had concealed them.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Daljit Singh Dhillon was produced before the Mohali court after he was arrested from Jalandhar by the crime cell of Punjab Police, AIG Crime Rakesh Kaushal said.
Jolted by the public outcry over a spate of drug overdose deaths in the state, the Punjab Cabinet, that met under Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday, decided to recommend to the Union Government death penalty for drug peddlers at the first instance.
Punjab Congress secretary Jagsir Singh allegedly murdered his brother over a property dispute at Mangewala village in the district on Monday, the police said. The deceased was identified as Jasvir Singh (42).
