Amritsar: The Amritsar Commissionerate Police have busted two illegal arms supply networks, apprehended six accused persons and recovered 14 sophisticated pistols, Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav announced in an official post on Tuesday (November 10). The Punjab Police's official accounts carried the same announcement with a photograph of the 14 seized pistols laid out around a 'CP-ASR' (Commissioner of Police, Amritsar) marker.

Source: DGP Punjab (official Instagram post)

Rozana Spokesman, the Punjabi daily, independently reported the same operation on Tuesday, reporting that two illegal weapons networks had been exposed in Amritsar, six accused arrested and 14 pistols recovered, with the accused allegedly in contact with handlers abroad. The arrested accused were not named in the official posts reviewed by this desk.

Source: Rozana Spokesman (Threads)

What police allege: foreign handlers, social media and drone consignments

According to the DGP's post, preliminary investigation alleges that the accused were in contact with foreign-based handlers via social media, received weapons through drone-based consignments, and supplied them to individuals involved in criminal activities. These are police allegations at the preliminary-investigation stage; they have not been tested in court, and the accused are entitled to the presumption of innocence.

Two FIRs registered, wider network under investigation

Two FIRs have been registered in connection with the bust — at Police Station Chheharta and Police Station Civil Lines in Amritsar — and further investigation is under way to identify the accused persons' associates and dismantle the wider networks, the DGP's post said.

The bust is the latest in a series of arms recoveries in the Amritsar border belt; on November 3 the Commissionerate Police announced a separate operation in which 11 people were arrested with 12 pistols and two hand grenades. Read: Amritsar police bust three arms and drug networks — 11 held, 12 pistols, 2 grenades

Police have not yet released the names of the six accused or details of the pistol models recovered in Tuesday's announcement, and no court appearance had been reported at the time of the official posts. Awaaz Punjab will update this story as the Commissionerate Police release further verified details.