New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency is going to investigate a case of arms and ammunitions which was found in Punjab and is suspected to have been delivered with the help of drones via Pakistan.
In August, Punjab police had discovered a case, reportedly carried by drones from Pakistan. Two of these drones have been recovered. On August 13, one drone was recovered in Punjab from a village which is just about 1.5 km from the India-Pakistan border. It had a carrying capacity of about 21 kilogram.
On September 22, four arrests were made in Taran Taran in Punjab. Five AK47 rifles, pistols, hand grenades and satellite phones were seized from those arrested.
The home ministry has transferred the case to the NIA because of the feeling that some of the offences in the case may have been committed or could be prosecuted under the NIA Act. A notice from the MHA says that some of the offences could “include conspiracy to carry out terrorist activities to create communal tension, instability, and revival of terrorism in Punjab”.
While the case was initially being handled by the Punjab police, it has now reportedly been re-registered by the NIA. The Punjab government had also reportedly requested the NIA to take this up, reported Times of India.
The Punjab police had reportedly discovered a terror module of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) last month. They also say that the weapons may have been delivered by ISI agents as well as pro-Khalistani groups working with the ISI.
Punjab government has asked the Union home ministry to alert the Indian Air Force and Border Security Force to launch counter-measures to check further threats.