The Punjab police on Friday said it had arrested wanted gangster Baljinder Singh alias Billa.
Baljinder Singh is alleged to have had links with the reportedly deceased Harmeet Singh, chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force, as well as Germany-based Gurmeet Singh Bagga of Khalistan Zindabad Force.
Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta said that another gangster Sukhjinder and five other members of the Billa gang, have also been arrested. A large consignment of sophisticated weapons smuggled in from Pakistan and drug money, reportedly smuggled from across border at different times through several modes, have been seized, he said.
Mr. Gupta said the arrests were made in a joint operation by the organised crime control unit team from Chandigarh, the counter intelligence Jalandhar unit and the Kapurthala police on May 7.
The teams identified the arrested as Baljinder Singh, resident of Gurdaspur; Sukhjinder Singh, resident of Kamoke Beas in Amritsar; Mohit Sharma, Lovepreet Singh, Mangal Singh and Maninderjeet Singh, all from Kapurthala and Lovepreet Singh, resident of Amarkot Valtoha in Tarn Taran.
Baljinder Singh was wanted in more than 18 criminal cases, including murder, attempt to murder and smuggling of weapons and drugs.
The seizures include two 30 bore drum machine guns, three pistols (marked SIG Sauer made in Germany), two Glock pistols (made in Austria), two 30 bore pistols, one 32 bore pistol, a .315 bore rifle, 341 live cartridges and two drum magazines and 14 pistol magazines. A sum of ₹3 lakh and one hundred Australian dollars were recovered, said Mr. Gupta.
The police is also investigating the role of militants in the supply chain of illegal weapons.
