SNE NETWORK.PUNJAB/CHANDIGARH.
The alleged smuggling of weapons through drones across the Pakistan border has become a serious challenge to India’s national security. These weapons are reaching other states through local suppliers.
Cases such as the Sidhu Moosewala murder case, the murder of Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, and the RPG attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters are part of the investigation into this network. Foreign pistols like the Glock, PX-5, and Beretta, along with AK-47s, M-16 rifles, grenades, RDX, and explosive devices, have been recovered in Punjab.
Between March 2022 and September 2026, the Counter Intelligence Branch of the Punjab Police busted 92 terrorist modules, arresting 686 people. Over 28 kilograms of RDX, 131 grenades, and six RPG launchers were recovered. The investigation found links to Pakistan in all these cases.
The Challenge of Weapons Smuggling Using Drones
Weapons smuggling using drones is a major challenge for security agencies. The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered pistols, drones, and heroin from the border areas of Amritsar and Ferozepur in October 2025. This clearly demonstrates the dual smuggling of narcotics and weapons.
The BSF defused or recovered hundreds of drones from 2023 to 2026. These operations also confiscated a large number of weapons, magazines, cartridges, grenades, and explosives. The Punjab Police also recovered 1,515 illegal pistols in 2023 and 856 from January to July 2024.
Expansion of the Interstate Network
This arms supply network extends to Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. In July 2025, singer Rahul Fazilpuria’s car was shot at in Gurugram. The investigation led to the arrest of Sarpanch Bikramjit Singh of Bathinda district, Punjab. Three pistols, including a Pakistani weapon, were recovered from his possession.
In a case involving the Punjab and Haryana High Court in July 2023, the accused were found to have transported illegal weapons to several states. Connections to a gang leader based in Canada were also investigated.
A network procuring illegal weapons from Madhya Pradesh and transporting them to Punjab has also been uncovered. In October 2026, Punjab Police arrested four accused in Sitarganj, Uttarakhand, and recovered Austrian Glock and Chinese pistols. These weapons were to be delivered to criminals in western Uttar Pradesh.
Role in Major Criminal Cases
Amritsar’s name surfaced in the firing incident on actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai on October 18, 2026. An arms smuggler from Sangrur, Punjab, also came up in the investigation into the firing incident outside Salman Khan’s house in April 2024.
The murder of Sidhu Moosewala on May 29, 2022, the murder of Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi in Jaipur in December 2023, and the murders of Delhi gym owner Nadir Shah and Baba Siddiqui also involved links to organized gangs and arms supply. The role of cross-border connections and terrorist networks was investigated in the May 2022 Mohali Intelligence Headquarters attack and the RPG case in Tarn Taran.###UK###CANADA###USA###PUNJAB###MANSA###JALANDHAR###AMRITSAR###LUDHIANA###CHANDIGARH###INDIA###DGP-PUNJAB###BSF###AAP###BJP###CONGRESS###AUSTRALIA###NEWZEALAND###SINGAPORE###