A counter-intelligence investigation in Ludhiana has uncovered how offshore terror masterminds are deploying low-paid local couriers to operate dead-drop weapons routes across Punjab and Haryana. The modus operandi involves using couriers who receive coordinates to leave consignments at specific locations, photograph the site for their handlers, and then a separate cell retrieves the weapons. This system is designed to shield foreign-based assets from local law enforcement.
Arrests and Seizures
Karandeep Singh and Baljeet Singh were arrested on Saturday. They had delivered at least three shipments of firearms and explosives near Amritsar over the past few months, receiving between ₹25,000 and ₹30,000 for each drop. Ballistics experts are now investigating whether these weapons match those used in recent regional attacks. Officers also seized two hand grenades that the network had smuggled using the blind drop system.
An official investigator stated, "The suspects received coordinates to leave consignments at specific locations, photographing the site for their handlers. A separate cell would then retrieve the weapons. The couriers never met the buyers."
Previous Arrests and Planned Attacks
The operation stems from the May 17 arrests of Ankush Singh and Gaurav Masih near Ladhowal, where police intercepted three high-calibre pistols and 11 rounds of ammunition. Ludhiana’s police commissioner, Swapan Sharma, said, "The cell was days away from executing five high-profile hits, including a contract killing in Kurukshetra, a sectarian murder in Khanna, and three extortion-related shootings across Moga, Faridkot, and Tarn Taran."
Foreign Links and Political Violence
Intelligence logs link the module to foreign-based fugitive handlers, including Germany-based masterminds "Lakha" and Zorawar Singh, alongside Dubai-based operative Sahil Sondhi. The syndicate is heavily tied to regional political violence. Investigators confirmed the network had financed the November 2025 assassination of RSS member Naveen Arora in Ferozepur, a February shooting targeting other-state workers in Moga, and a recent grenade attack on a Haryana petrol refuelling station.
Funding and Operations
The network promised local hitmen up to ₹50,000 for each killing. Police are tracing the bank accounts that the offshore handlers used to fund the local operations. The investigation continues as authorities work to dismantle the entire network.
