Delhi police bust ISI-linked arms smuggling ring, seize Turkey-made pistols, four nabbed

The arrested suspects, Ajay, Rohan, Mandeep and Dalvinder, (L-R), are accused of allegedly smuggling advanced pistols from Turkey and China into India via Pakistan.

In a major crackdown, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has dismantled an international arms smuggling network with links to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Four key operatives, Ajay, Mandeep, Dalvinder, and Rohan, have been arrested for allegedly trafficking high-end foreign-made firearms across multiple states, and a significant cache of weapons, including 10 semi-automatic pistols and 92 live cartridges, has been recovered, the Delhi Police stated on Saturday.

The operation, led by DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, revealed that the syndicate was using drones to transport firearms from Pakistan into India. The weapons were reportedly dropped in Punjab before being moved to Delhi and handed over to local criminal gangs.

DCP Yadav described the smuggling method as highly sophisticated and alarming.

Joint CP Surender Kumar, while addressing a press meet, said the first arrest was made on November 19 in Delhi’s Rohini area after intelligence suggested a weapons delivery.

The suspect, Mandeep, a known member of the Sonu Khatri gang in Punjab, was in touch with a handler based in Pakistan. During interrogation, police identified two more individuals, Rohan and Ajay, residents of Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh, who were expected to collect the firearms. Both were arrested, and two additional pistols were recovered from their possession.

Rohan is reportedly associated with the Jitender Gogi gang, while the network has previously supplied weapons to the Bambiha gang and other active criminal groups.

The smugglers allegedly wrapped the firearms in carbon paper to evade detection. Eight weapons were reportedly dropped earlier in Punjab before being transported to Delhi for handover to gang operatives. Police have also identified three more suspects, and further arrests are expected.

A US-based operative, Jamseet Jassa, is believed to be a key figure managing the syndicate.

(Photo courtesy: ANI)

Police recovered 10 semi-automatic pistols, including the Turkey-made PX-5.7, used primarily by special forces, along with 92 live cartridges. China-made PX-3 pistols were also seized, indicating the network sourced weapons from multiple international locations.