A Border Security Force (BSF) constable posted at Jammu and Kashmir has been arrested by the Punjab Police in connection with a Pakistan-sponsored drugs and illegal arms smuggling racket.

Foreign made weapons, including a 9 mm Pistol (Zigana make-Made in Turkey), alongwith 80 live cartridges etched with Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) markings, two magazines and two live cartridges of 12 Bore gun, alongwith Rs 32.30 lakh drug proceeds, were recovered from constable Sumit Kumar alias Noni posted in Samba district of J&K.

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The Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said constable Sumit, resident of Magar Mudian village in Gurdaspur, has been arrested along with three other members, including Simarjit Singh, Manpreet Singh and Amanpreet Singh, all residents of Dhirpur village in Gurdaspur.

Giving details, the DGP said Jalandhar Police (rural) had arrested Amanpreet Singh on 11 July in a murder case and during investigation, he disclosed that he and his brothers, were in touch with one Shah Musa of Pakistan, for smuggling of narcotics and weapons across the Indo-Pak border.

Amanpreet further revealed that they had come into contact with Shah Musa through Manpreet Singh and a constable of BSF posted on the J&K border. He said constable Sumit had earlier been lodged in Gurdaspur jail during the trial of a murder case, where he had come in contact with Manpreet Singh.

Gupta said that the conspiracy to smuggle drugs and weapons from across the border was hatched in Gurdaspur jail. Manpreet further introduced Amanpreet, Simranjit and Sukhwant to constable Sumit.

Armed with these disclosures, Jalandhar Rural Police arrested Simarjeet and Manpreet on 12 July, while constable Sumit was apprehended in coordination with the BSF, after DGP Punjab took up the matter personally with DG BSF on Saturday.

The DGP said that Sumit had disclosed his involvement in repeated smuggling of narcotics and weapons from across the border. Sumit had received a sum of Rs 39 lakh as his compensation for the successful receipt of drugs and weapons consignments.

Detailing the module’s modus operandi, Gupta said that photos of the drug consignments and weapons which were expected to be received from Pakistan were being sent to constable Sumit. Pakistani smugglers used to come at the pre-decided place during the shift duty of Sumit at the border.