Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, May 27

The Khanna police claimed to have arrested two Tarn Taran-based youths and seized eight illegal weapons from them.

They have been identified as Lovejit Singh of Gandiwind Dhadal, Tarn Taran, and Jobanpreet Singh of Pakhopur in Tarn Taran.

Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gursharandeep Singh Grewal today conducted a press conference regarding the matter.

The SSP said the Khanna police busted a major racket of illegal weapon smuggling and recovered seven pistols of .32 bore and a .30-bore pistol along with 12 magazines.

Grewal said under the supervision of Hardeep Singh, DSP, Payal, Doraha SHO Nachattar Singh, along with the police party, had set up a naka near the FCI godown on GT Road, Doraha, where the police received a secret tip-off that two Tarn Taran-based weapon suppliers were on the way to their home town from Indore in a private Swift taxi (bearing registration no. DL 1 ZB 7328) and they were carrying several weapons.

The SSP revealed that accordingly, a naka was laid at a strategic point where the car was intercepted by the police party.

“The occupants were carrying a bag from which illegal weapons were seized. They were asked to produce the licence of the weapons but they failed to do so, the SSP added.

During the initial investigation, it has come to light that they were in touch with Dharamvir Singh of Pakhopur, Tarn Taran, who is reportedly a big supplier of illegal weapons in the state. Both youths had been sent to Indore by Dharamvir to procure the consignment of weapons.

Lovejit has a criminal background as he was already facing a case under the Arms Act registered at the Harike police station.

Doraha SHO Nachattar Singh said the accused had been supplying illegal weapons to gangsters and anti-social elements in the state. In the two-day police remand of the accused, they could make major disclosures and more members of the gang could be arrested.