The Delhi Police Crime Branch has dismantled a major international illegal arms smuggling racket linked to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The syndicate was involved in supplying high-end pistols made in China and Turkey to criminals in India through Pakistan.

These weapons were smuggled into India using drones that dropped consignments at designated locations in Punjab. The consignments were wrapped in carbon paper to evade detection by scanners. Members of the gang collected the weapons from these drop points and then transported them to Delhi and surrounding states for distribution.

Four key members of the gang have been arrested, including Mandeep, a wanted criminal linked to the Sonu Khatri gang in Punjab, and two associates, Rohan and Monu, from Uttar Pradesh. The police recovered 10 foreign-made pistols and 92 live cartridges from the group.

Mandeep has numerous criminal cases against him, including murder. The main operator of the racket, named Jaspreet alias Jassa, is reportedly based in the US and is believed to maintain direct contact with handlers in Pakistan.

The smuggled weapons were supplied primarily to criminal gangs operating in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, and western Uttar Pradesh. The investigation is ongoing to determine the extent of the racket, the total number of weapons smuggled, and other members involved. Security agencies are also examining phone records, bank details, and social media activity to trace the network's extent.

This bust comes amid heightened security concerns following a suicide car bombing near Delhi's Red Fort on November 10 that killed 15 people. The Delhi Police have since enhanced security measures in the national capital.

There have also been related operations uncovering terror modules linked to Pakistan-based groups Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, with seizures of large quantities of explosives reportedly used in the blast.

This case highlights the evolving and sophisticated methods used in cross-border arms smuggling, such as drone deliveries to bypass traditional checkpoints, as well as the ongoing impact of transnational terrorism and organised crime linked to Pakistan's intelligence apparatus operating within India.​

Based On NDTV Report