Amritsar: The Amritsar Commissionerate Police have busted three illegal arms and drug supply networks and apprehended 11 accused, Punjab Police announced on Tuesday. The recoveries from the operation are 12 illegal pistols, two hand grenades, 310.10 grams of heroin and 33 live cartridges, police said.

Source: Punjab Police India (official)

According to the police statement, preliminary findings suggest the accused allegedly coordinated with foreign-based handlers and gangsters, who supplied weapons and narcotics through drone drops for onward distribution. Police further alleged that the weapons were used to shoot at homes and shops to enforce extortion demands. These are police allegations at the preliminary-investigation stage and have not been tested in court.

Source: DGP Punjab police graphic via Punjab Police India

Three FIRs, investigation continuing

Three FIRs have been registered in the case — at Police Station Ranjit Avenue, Police Station Chheharta and Police Station Sultanwind in Amritsar — and further investigation is ongoing, police said. NEWS18 Punjab Haryana Himachal also reported the bust in its breaking coverage, reporting 11 accused arrested with 12 pistols, two hand grenades and heroin, and a gangster link to the module.

This is a separate operation from the Amritsar Commissionerate bust reported on October 30, in which eight accused were arrested with 11 pistols and 2.293 kg of heroin and FIRs were registered at Chheharta and A-Division police stations. Tuesday's operation carries different arrests, different recoveries and a different set of police stations, including Ranjit Avenue and Sultanwind.

The bust is the latest in a series of arms-and-narcotics recoveries in the Amritsar border belt, where Punjab Police and the Border Security Force have reported repeated drone-drop consignments of pistols and heroin in recent weeks. Police said the investigation is continuing to establish the networks' forward and backward linkages.