‘Pakistan’s ISI pushing drugs, ammunition into Punjab’

NEW DELHI: This year seems tough for Punjab as people are frequently encountering numerous terrorist-related news. On Thursday, the Punjab police caught three terrorists from Tarn Taran, carrying AK-47 and other deadly ammunition. Punjab Police caught them with the support of the Delhi Special cell. As per police officials, these terrorists were planning to execute a major attack in Punjab before Diwali and there could be many other terrorists also who are hidden in some parts of Tarn Taran and Amritsar. The Sunday Guardian asked DGP Gaurav Yadav what the key reason was for the police finding so many terrorist modules in the recent past. DGP Yadav said: “Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is trying to disturb the peace here and is sending ammunition and drugs to Punjab”. In the last few months from March-October 2022, Punjab Police recovered pistols/revolvers: 144, grenades: 8, and AK Series Rifles: 8. On Friday, the BSF detected a drone flying inside the Indian territory in Tarn Taran. Asking about the law and order situation and intra-border ammunition supply through drones in Punjab, DGP Gaurav Yadav said, “Pakistan’s ISI is sending huge consignments into Punjab comprising ammunition and drugs to disturb our hard-earned peace. We have recently busted many modules of them and would further dismantle that; all as well. We would not allow anyone to disturb Punjab,” he added.
On the DGP’s statement and Punjab’s law and order situation, senior BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “They are the same people who used to mock Captain Amarinder Singh when he used to say that Pakistan is in wait to disturb Punjab, drones are crossing the Indian territory. Now, their own DGP is making the same statement. AAP has ruined Punjab’s peace, and the law and order situation on the ground is deteriorating with each passing day.”
The Counter-Intelligence wing of Punjab Police recently busted a massive smuggling racket involving an agent from Pakistan’s ISI, who had delivered huge consignments of narcotics, explosives, arms, and ammunition to India over the last several months using drones. An ISI-operated terror module has also been busted in the state. According to top Punjab Police officials, the agent, identified as Asif Dongar, is a resident of Karachi. He used to work from the ISI’s operations headquarters in Karachi and report directly to top ISI officials. Punjab Police said information about a drug smuggler lodged in Punjab’s Goindwal Jail led to the busting of the smuggling racket run by ISI. The inmate named Jaskaran Singh used to smuggle drugs into Goindwal Jail with the help of Dongar. Jaskaran Singh and his accomplice Ratanbir Singh were arrested.
As per Intelligence Bureau officials, the Khalistani Task Force and ISI are hands in gloves with each other to disturb Punjab. This is why central agencies and Punjab Police are collectively hitting the KTF and ISI modules and has been able to successfully target them. The recent encounter of a few gangsters was also part of the collective efforts of central agencies and the state police.
On 4 October, Punjab police claimed to have busted two terror modules, operated by foreign-based gangsters and terrorists backed by Pakistan’s ISI, as it arrested two operatives and recovered arms and ammunition, including a tiffin bomb and three hand grenades. On 20 October morning, in a joint operation with a central agency and ATS Maharashtra, apprehended Charat Singh, the main accused in Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) attack case from Mumbai. On 23 September, Punjab Police busted a terror module backed by ISI by arresting two operatives. Police officers said that they also seized arms and ammunition, including an AK-56 rifle, two magazines, and 90 live cartridges.