The Patiala police have arrested five alleged members of a robbery and extortion gang and seized 10 illegal firearms along with 20 live cartridges, foiling what officials described as a potential major criminal incident.
Patiala SSP Varun Sharma said acting on a tip-off about a planned arms deal, the CIA unit intercepted the group at an isolated location on Sunday. The police recovered five .32-bore pistols, four .315-bore pistols, and one .32-bore revolver, along with 20 live cartridges, from the possession of the accused.
Suspected Gang Rivalry Attack
Police suspect the firearms were meant for gang rivalry attacks. Police said they are probing the money trail linked to the deal, including possible hawala transactions and other illegal payment channels. During remand, the accused will be questioned to identify others linked to the suspected arms supply network, police added.
The timely arrests have helped prevent a potentially serious law-and-order incident, the SSP said.
Details of the Accused
Those arrested have been named as Arshdeep Singh from a village near Patiala; Jatinder Gupta from Patiala city; Yashved alias Yodha of Patiala; Abhishek from a village in Haryana's Jind district; and Akhil Ahmed from Patiala city. A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 310(4), 310(5), 111 and 3(5) of the BNS, along with relevant sections of the Arms Act, at the Urban Estate police station.
According to the SSP, the accused were previously named in multiple cases, including murder, attempt to murder, robbery and Arms Act violations in Patiala and nearby districts.
Prison Links and Social Media
Police said some of the accused developed links with drug and arms smugglers while in jail. One accused, Yashved alias Yodha, allegedly re-established contact with an associate in Tarn Taran after his release and arranged the weapons consignment through social media.
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