New Delhi, Nov 22: The Delhi Crime Branch has uncovered a major international arms smuggling network linked to Pakistan’s ISI and arrested four key members of the gang, officials said on Saturday.
According to investigators, the group was responsible for supplying high-end pistols manufactured in Turkey and China, which were brought into India through Pakistan. The weapons were reportedly dropped in Punjab via drones before being circulated further, officials said in a statement.
The police officials said the arrested accused include two individuals from Punjab. A total of 10 expensive foreign pistols and 92 live cartridges have been recovered. These weapons were being supplied to criminals and gangsters operating in Delhi and neighbouring states, they added.
Crime Branch officials said the network was functioning under the direction of individuals connected to the Pakistani ISI, with weapons first routed to Pakistan and then smuggled into India.
Investigators are now working to determine the number of weapons the gang supplied and the identities of the buyers. Agencies are examining mobile phones, bank transactions and social media records to trace additional members of the network and identify any wider links.
The breakthrough comes amid intensified investigations into the Delhi blast attack and the Faridabad terror module, which was being run by individuals linked to Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM).
The police have learnt that it was a JeM operative who had instructed the accused persons on how to make the bombs. Another major revelation that has come to light is that the accused were in the process of preparing 200 bombs, which were meant to go off simultaneously in Delhi and other parts of North India.
The plan was to carry out bomb blasts across North Indian states, and for this, the ISI had handpicked a JeM operative to train the accused who were part of the Faridabad module.
Security agencies heightened search operations after the November 10 car blast near the Red Fort Metro Station, which killed at least 13 people and injured several others. Several suspects associated with the Faridabad terror module have also been arrested in recent days. Police said that the investigations are underway. Further details are awaited.
IANS
