Rohan, Ajay among four arrested in for running ISI-linked drone arms supply chain
New Delhi (PTI) An international arms trafficking network allegedly linked to Pakistan's ISI-backed suppliers has been busted with the arrest of four key operatives involved in supplying high-end foreign-made weapons to organised crime groups across north India, police said on Saturday.
According to the police, the network sourced foreign-made weapons smuggled from Pakistan using drones and supplied them to gangsters in Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.
Investigations revealed that weapons were being smuggled from Pakistan using customised drones capable of low-altitude flights to evade radar.
Traffickers based across the border allegedly dropped consignments at pre-marked GPS locations along vulnerable stretches of the international border in Punjab late at night.
Local receivers retrieved the packages, transported them to safe houses, and supplied them to crime networks across India. The module used encrypted communication and changed drop locations frequently to avoid surveillance, police said.
The traffickers wrapped weapons in carbon-coated material to evade scanning, and payments were made through hawala and proxy accounts.
Ten sophisticated pistols, including Turkiye-made PX-5.7 models used only by special forces, along with 92 live cartridges, were seized in the operation, police said.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mandeep Singh (38) and Dalvinder Kumar (34), both from Punjab, and Rohan Tomar (30) and Ajay alias Monu (37), residents of Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh.
Intelligence was received on November 19 about an ISI-backed supply chain linked to the gang of Punjab-origin gangster Sonu Khatri alias Rajesh Kumar, who is currently based in the United States and is wanted in over 45 criminal cases, police said.
A trap was laid near Khatu Shyam Temple on the Bawana Road stretch in Rohini. A white car arrived at the spot as indicated by the input, and two suspects were intercepted.
A duffel bag concealed inside the vehicle's speaker box was found containing eight foreign-made pistols and 84 live cartridges, officials said. The two men, Mandeep and Dalvinder, were arrested at the spot.
Their interrogation led police to two more associates, Rohan Tomar and Ajay alias Monu, from whose possession two additional pistols and eight cartridges were recovered.
Police informed that Mandeep and Dalvinder were childhood friends and joined the arms syndicate through Jaspreet alias Jas, a close associate of gangster Sonu Khatri. Jas, currently abroad, is suspected of being connected with ISI-linked suppliers who arranged drone-based deliveries.
Rohan and Ajay were long associated with gangs in Delhi-NCR, including the Gogi gang, Bhau gang and Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu gang, and were involved in distributing sophisticated arms to contract killers and extortion modules.
A total of 10 pistols, including three Turkiye-made PX-5.7 pistols and five China-made PX-3 pistols, have been seized, along with 92 live cartridges and a white car.
Police said Mandeep, also known as Pita or Manpreet, has an extensive criminal history involving murder, attempted murder, the Gangsters Act and NDPS Act cases. He frequently used fake identities to evade the law.
Dalvinder, who once worked in Dubai, resorted to criminal activities due to financial distress, officials noted.
Rohan and Ajay were allegedly close to the Anil Baliyan-Sanjeev Jeeva syndicate and previously supplied large quantities of weapons to multiple gangs in the region.
Meanwhile, a Red Corner Notice has been issued against foreign-based gangster Sonu Khatri, who police believe is coordinating with ISI-linked arms suppliers.
A senior police officer said the recovery of Turkiye-made PX-5.7 pistols, typically used only by special forces, indicates a "highly sophisticated and well-organised cross-border supply chain."
Further investigation is underway to identify more modules involved in the network, the officer added.
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Ayush signs off with silver at Badminton Asia Championships
Ningbo (China) (PTI): India's Ayush Shetty signed off with a silver medal after his giant-killing run ended in a straight-game loss to world No. 2 Shi Yu Qi in the final of the Badminton Asia Championships here on Sunday.
The 20-year-old from Mangalore struggled to find his rhythm, going down 8-21, 10-21 to the reigning world champion from China, as India's 61-year wait for a men's singles gold at the event continued.
Despite the loss, it was a creditable campaign from the unseeded youngster, who became only the second Indian men's singles player after Dinesh Khanna to reach the final of the continental showpiece.
Khanna remains the only Indian singles champion at the event, having won the title in 1965. Since then, only the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have lifted the trophy, winning it in 2023.
World No. 25 Ayush entered the contest on the back of defeats to Shi at the Malaysia Super 1000 earlier this year and the Indonesia Masters last season. However, he had played with far greater control and attacking clarity this week, toppling world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn, world No. 4 Jonatan Christie and world No. 7 Li Shi Feng en route to the final.
However, the Indian, a product of the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru, failed to counter the tactical discipline of Shi, who used his repertoire of strokes and deception to deny Ayush the opportunity to play his natural attacking game.
Shi dictated the geometry of the court from the outset, controlling the net exchanges and forcing Ayush into the forecourt battle early. The variation in the Chinese player’s game blunted the Indian’s attack, as his smashes lacked precision and he succumbed to scoreboard pressure, leading to rushed shot-making.
Shi Yu Qi logged the opening points with two fine net dribbles to race to a 4-0 lead, as Ayush’s smashes lacked precision early on and he trailed 2-6. A long rally ended with the Chinese player going wide, offering the Indian some respite. A deceptive net shot helped Shi move to 7-4, and he extended the lead to 11-6 as Ayush struggled for control, committing a string of unforced errors.
Shi mixed it up effectively, producing a lovely drop shot and repeatedly drawing the Indian to the forecourt with cross returns like a metronome, forcing errors. Two down-the-line smashes gave Shi a massive cushion of game points, and he sealed the opening game when Ayush sprayed a return wide.
The Indian needed a complete reset to stay alive, and he responded with a thunderous straight smash before diving on both flanks to keep the shuttle in play and move to 3-1 in the second game. Shi continued to test Ayush with backhand deceptive net strokes and pushes to the deep, but the Indian managed to retrieve everything and even found his precision in time, with an on-the-line smash confirmed by Hawk-Eye and a well-constructed rally taking him to 7-2.
However, he couldn't hold on to the momentum as the Chinese clawed back to 7-7 after two long shots and a smash into the net from Ayush. A return that kissed the backline from Shi, followed by another error from Ayush at the net and a return into the net, handed the Chinese the advantage once again at the interval, as he led 11-8.
Shi’s ability to place the shuttle into empty spaces with his repertoire of strokes, often punctuated by a fierce smash, made life difficult for the Indian as he stretched the lead to 13-8. Soon, the Chinese was up 15-9 with another powerful smash.
A body return followed by a straight smash took him to 17-9, and another long shot from Ayush further dented his chances. A perfectly angled smash into the forehand corner brought Shi within two points of victory. He then unleashed a cross-court smash to earn 10 match points and sealed the contest with a return that cramped the Indian, targeting his hip.
