[ad_1]
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 8
Punjab police arrested “most wanted gangster” Baljinder Singh, aka Billa Mandiala. Another “notorious gangster”, Sukhjinder, and five other members of the “Billa gang” have also been arrested. A large shipment of sophisticated weapons suspected of smuggling from Pakistan has also been seized, as well as cash and drones.
Mandiala reportedly had ties to Pakistan-based KLF chief Harmeet Singh Happy, who now passed away, as well as KZF’s Germany-based ‘Bagga’.
According to a statement issued on behalf of the Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta, the arrests were made in a joint operation by the Chandigarh OCCU team; Jalandhar Counterintelligence Unit; and the Kapurthala Police on Thursday.
Punjab DGP
This is one of the largest hiding places for highly sophisticated weapons confiscated from a criminal gang.
Those arrested were identified as Baljinder Singh, aka Billa Mandiala (resident of Mandiala, Gurdaspur); Sukhjinder Singh (Kamoke Beas, Amritsar); Mohit Sharma (Kapurthala); Lovepreet Singh; Mangal Singh; and Maninderjeet Singh, aka Happy; and (other) Lovepreet Singh, aka Lovely (Amarkot, Valtoha, Tarn Taran).
Baljinder Singh was wanted in more than 18 criminal cases, including murder, attempted murder, and arms / drug smuggling.
All arrested suspects have been kept separate as they are being screened for COVID-19.
Seizures include two .30 caliber drum machine guns, three pistols (SIG Sauer, made in Germany), two Glock pistols (made in Austria), two .30 caliber pistols, one .32 caliber pistol, one caliber. 315 rifle, 341 cartridges, two drum magazines, 14 pistol magazines and Rs 3 lakh Indian currency and Australian $ 100.
Calling it “one of the largest highly sophisticated stockpiles of weapons from a criminal gang,” Gupta said members of the US Secret Service. The USA, which protects the President, were using Sig Suaer pistols.
The DGP said it was known that most of the weapons had crossed the Indo-Pak border in multiple shipments. Police are also investigating the role of militants in supplying illegal weapons.
A spokesperson said a Toyota Fortuner, Etios Lava and Alto car were also confiscated from the criminals, along with some false documents.
Police suspect that part of a shipment of AK-74 rifles that were pushed into the Mamdot area of the Ferozepur sector on September 24, 2019, was also intended for the Billa Mandiala gang.
The DGP said that Gurmeet Chohan, AIG OCCU, had received comments that Billa Mandiala and his associates were taking refuge in the Kapurthala area with a large shipment of weapons. DSP OCCU Bikram Brar was assigned the task, supported by AIG Counter-Intelligence, Jalandhar, Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh, and Kapurthala SSP Satinder Singh.
Police teams surrounded the Dadwindi and Mothanwala area of the Sultanpur Lodhi Police Station and made the arrests. A case has been registered under sections 384, 465, 467, 468, 471, 473 and 489 of the IPC, 13 and 18 of the UAPA, and Section 25 of the Arms Law at the Sultanpur Lodhi police station.
Police said Billa Mandiala had revealed that he was in contact with several Pakistan-based arms and drug smugglers, including Mirza and Ahmdeen, and that he had already received several shipments of weapons and drugs from them, mainly in the area of Ferozepur.
Mirza allegedly worked as a courier on the Indo-Pak border for Pakistan-India-based Jalista Liberation Force officers in the recent past, and had pushed many arms shipments into Indian territory. Billa Mandiala also revealed that he was in contact with the gangster Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, who is currently housed in the Patiala prison.
[ad_2]
