Brother of Germany-based terror module handler arrested

A brother of a Germany-based handler of the terror module busted by the Punjab Police recently was arrested for alleged involvement in the dropping of arms and ammunition by drones from across the border, police said on Wednesday.

Gurdev Singh, a resident of Jhaj village in Hoshiarpur, was nabbed by a team of the state special operation cell (SSOC) of the Punjab Police from PAP Chowk in Jalandhar, a police official said.

Fake currency with a face value of Rs 3 lakh was also recovered from his possession, police said.

Gurdev Singh is the brother of Germany-based Gurmeet Singh Bagga, alias Doctor, who along with Pakistan-based chief of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) Ranjeet Singh, alias Neeta, was involved in the delivery of arms and ammunition from Pakistan by using drones.

Gurdev had earlier stayed in Pakistan for several years.

He had allegedly remained in contact with Maan Singh, who had recruited Akashdeep Singh, one of the accused arrested in the case, when he was lodged in the jail last year.

Maan Singh, currently lodged in the Amritsar jail in an Arms Act case, had recruited Akashdeep Singh at the behest of his handler Gurmeet Singh, alias Bagga.

Gurdev Singh was produced before a local court and was sent to police custody till October 3.

Police said he would be questioned about his alleged role.

The Punjab Police on Sunday had claimed to have busted a terror module of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF).

It said the terror group was conspiring to unleash a series of strikes in Punjab and adjoining states.

Four members of the module -- Balwant Singh, alias Nihang; Akashdeep Singh, alias Akash Randhawa; Harbhajan Singh and Balbir Singh -- were arrested from the outskirts of Chohla Sahib village in Tarn Taran.

Another person, identified as Sukhdeep Singh, was arrested by a team of the organised crime control unit (OCCU) of the Punjab police with a pistol on Tuesday.

Sukhdeep would also be questioned, police said.

GPS-fitted drones capable of lifting up to 10 kg flew in from Pakistan seven to eight times to airdrop the cache of arms, ammunition and fake currency seized in Punjab's Tarn Taran district, a police probe revealed on Wednesday.

It was the first incident reported in Punjab, in which drones were used to drop weapons and communication devices, among others, from across the border, an official said, adding that a half-burnt drone used in the operation was recovered from Tarn Taran.

Five AK-47 rifles, 16 magazines and 472 rounds of ammunition, four Chinese-made 30 bore pistols, along with eight magazines and 72 rounds of ammunition; nine hand grenades, five satellite phones with their ancillary equipment, two mobile phones, two wireless sets and fake currency with face value of Rs 10 lakh were seized .