The operation was conducted late Friday in the Rohini area after the Crime Branch received specific intelligence that a weapons consignment was to be delivered in the Capital. A police team intercepted the suspects and recovered ten high-tech pistols manufactured in Turkey and China, along with a substantial number of cartridges.
Senior officials said the quality of the weapons and the scale of procurement indicate the involvement of a well-funded cross-border module. Preliminary investigation suggests the firearms were routed from Turkey and China to Pakistan, from where handlers coordinated drone-based drops in Punjab. Local smugglers from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh then transported the weapons to Delhi and neighbouring states, supplying them to gangs linked to Lawrence Bishnoi, Gogi, Bambiha and Himanshu Bhau.
The arrested accused identified as Mandeep, Ajay, Dalwinder and Rohanare residents of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Police are examining their communication records, bank transactions and travel history to establish the number of consignments that entered India through this channel and to identify additional handlers involved in the supply chain.
The crackdown comes amid heightened security in the Capital following the November 10 car blast near Red Fort Metro Station, which killed 15 people and left more than 20 injured. Six arrests have been made so far in that case, and nationwide searches continue in Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
Investigators have not found a direct link between the arms racket and the terror module behind the blast, but officials say the smuggling network’s connections to major gang syndicates underscore the growing convergence of organised crime and foreign-backed operatives. Further arrests are likely as the probe widens
