Chandigarh, Oct 11 : In an intelligence-led operation, Counter Intelligence (CI) Amritsar has busted a cross-border weapon smuggling module with links to Pakistan with the arrest of its three operatives and recovered eight sophisticated pistols from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Saturday.

Those arrested have been identified as Mahesh and Angrej Singh, both residents of Marhi Megha village in Tarn Taran; and Arshdeep Singh, a resident of Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran.

The recovered weapons include three 9MM pistols and five .30 bore pistols along with magazines. Besides, police have also impounded their motorcycle, being used for transporting consignments.

DGP Yadav said preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were acting upon the directions of Pakistan-based arms smuggler, who has been using drones to drop the contrabands from across the border.

They were supplying arms and ammunition to criminals and gangsters in Punjab with the intention to fuel criminal activities in the state, he said.

Sharing operation details, he said that CI Amritsar had received a specific intelligence about the retrieval a huge consignment of illegal weapons from India-Pakistan border, which was delivered from across the border with the help of drones in the area of Marhi Kamboke village in Tarn Taran district.

Acting swiftly, a police team intercepted three suspects near Bhoose village in Amritsar Rural, and recovered the consignment of illegal weapons, which they were going to deliver to the next party in the area, he said.

The DGP said the accused persons, Mahesh and Angrej Singh, were also wanted in previous cases registered under the Arms Act at a police station in Amritsar, in which five pistols were earlier recovered.

Further investigation is underway to establish linkages in this case to expose and dismantle the entire network, the DGP added.

/IANS