In 4 trips in 9 months, accused supplied drugs, weapons from Pak to 3 states

The accused, during interrogation, revealed that it was their fifth trip in nine months transporting weapons and drugs that they had received from across the border.

Karnal’s Superintendent of Police Ganga Ram Punia said, “They had earlier transported drugs to Chamkaur Sahib and Tarn Taran in Punjab. The weapons consignments were transported to Ambala in Haryana and Nanded in Maharashtra. We are ascertaining more details about the locations where these consignments were delivered and the persons to whom they handed it over”.

According to Punjab DGP VK Bhawra, the 35-year-old Rinda, who is also suspected of carrying out a terror attack at the Nawanshahr Crime Investigating Agency (CIA) building on November 8, 2021, is believed to be under the protection of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence.

Haryana Police also found that one of the accused, Gurpreet Singh, had transferred over Rs 13 lakh into his girl friend’s mother’s account. “The woman too is a native of Ferozepur. Our team has made her join the investigation. Her questioning is expected to reveal more details about the monetary transactions. The accused were also getting money along with drugs and weapons from across the border,” Punia added.

The accused are currently in 10-day police custody. The Karnal police had taken the accused to the location in Ferozepur where they claimed to have received the consignment of weapons airdropped through drones. The place was identified as fields belonging to Gurpreet’s maternal grandparents.

Police also recovered two registration certificates (RCs) of as many vehicles from the possession of accused. Both the RCs were forged while the actual vehicles were found in Panipat and Yamunanagar. “We have registered a separate FIR regarding this at Madhuban police station. Further investigation is going on. The man who provided them the fake RCs has also been identified and our teams are on the job to nab him. Raids are being carried out at his suspected hideouts,” Punia said.

The SP also told the Indian Express that they have not found any connection between the four accused arrested by them and the recent RPG attack at Punjab Police’s Mohali-based Intelligence Headquarters.

“So far, we have not found any link between these four and the Mohali RPG attack. Various investigating agencies including Punjab Police, Maharashtra ATS, and NIA have come here (for probe) and whatever necessary information they required was provided to them,” Punia said.

Earlier, Punjab and Haryana police had claimed to have foiled a a major terror plot by arresting the four accused.

A case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act was registered against them and Rinda. “Rinda is involved in terror activities, he supplies arms and drugs and sends location to the accused and their task is to transport these explosives and arms,” Punia had earlier said.

Haryana Additional Director General of Police Sandeep Khirwar had not ruled out the possibility of more people being involved in the case.