The Punjab Police have dismantled an illegal arms supply network operating in Kapurthala, recovering five country-made 7.65 mm pistols during a targeted operation. Two suspects were taken into custody, including one adult and a 17-year-old juvenile.
Those arrested were identified as Ajay Kumar, a resident of Mehrajwala village in Jalandhar district, and an unnamed minor. According to investigators, the pair were allegedly functioning under instructions from foreign-based handlers located in the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, as stated by Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav.
Initial findings indicate that the accused were sourcing illegal firearms from Madhya Pradesh and distributing them to criminal groups. Authorities said the seized weapons were meant to be used in firing incidents and extortion activities across the region.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, police first apprehended Ajay Kumar and recovered one pistol from him. Continued investigation led officers to his juvenile associate, from whom four additional pistols were seized, said Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Toora.
Police officials said further investigation is ongoing to identify additional members and fully expose the wider network. A First Information Report has been registered, and a case has been filed under Section 25 of the Arms Act.
The crackdown comes shortly after ‘Operation Prahar-2’, a three-day statewide campaign launched by the Aam Aadmi Party government to target wanted criminals and gang networks across Punjab.
During the 72-hour drive conducted from February 8 to February 10, 2026, police arrested more than 3,200 individuals and carried out 8,278 raids at locations linked to suspects.
The initiative forms part of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s broader ‘War Against Gangsters’ campaign. It followed the earlier ‘Operation Prahar-1’, during which authorities detained 3,256 people and seized 69 illegal weapons within a similar three-day enforcement operation.
