Punjab Police on Friday arrested two operatives linked to Portugal-based gangster Manpreet Singh, also known as Mannu Ghanshampuria, marking a significant step in the fight against illegal arms smuggling, as per an official press release.
The arrested individuals were also found to have connections with USA-based criminals Balwinder Singh, alias Doni Bal, and Prabhdeep Singh, alias Prabh Dasuwal, according to Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav. The two detained operatives have been identified as Aditya Kapoor, alias Makhan, from Lahori Gate, Amritsar, and Ravinder Singh from the village of Akarpura in Gurdaspur. Police recovered four firearms from their possession, including a 9mm Glock pistol, two foreign-made .30 bore pistols, and one .32 bore pistol, along with five magazines and 14 live cartridges. In an official statement, DGP Gaurav Yadav stated, "In an intelligence-led operation, teams from Counter-Insurgency (CI) Amritsar set up a special checkpoint at Mehta Road near the cattle market in Amritsar and intercepted both individuals while they were travelling on a black Splendor motorcycle bearing registration number PB18Z5033." The statement added that the police teams have impounded the motorcycle. "Preliminary investigations revealed that Aditya Kapoor has 12 criminal cases registered against him. He was operating under the instructions of USA-based criminals Doni Bal and Prabh Dasuwal, who are close associates of gangster Mannu Ghanshampuria," DGP Yadav's statement continued. Furthermore, the DGP noted that these criminal syndicates are rivals of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria organised crime group. The investigation has revealed that the arrested individuals received a consignment of weapons arranged by Doni Bal and Mannu Ghanshampuria and were planning to carry out serious crimes in the state. The DGP assured that further investigations are underway to uncover additional details and establish both forward and backward linkages in the case. An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Arms Act at the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC) Police Station, Amritsar. (ANI)
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