Srinagar: In a major intelligence-driven operation, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has dismantled a transnational arms trafficking network with direct links to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), arresting four key operatives and seizing a cache of high-end foreign-made semi-automatic pistols smuggled into India using drones.
The breakthrough came on November 19-21, 2025, following specific inputs about a large consignment of illegal firearms being transported to Delhi-NCR for distribution to criminal gangs. Acting swiftly, a team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav intercepted a suspicious vehicle in Delhi’s Rohini area, leading to the initial arrests and recovery of weapons hidden in a concealed cavity inside a speaker box.
The four accused, identified as key intermediaries in the interstate arms supply chain, are: Mandeep Singh (38), a resident of Jalandhar district, Punjab. A history-sheeter with multiple criminal cases, Mandeep was directly involved in retrieving drone-dropped consignments and had links to foreign-based handlers.
Dalvinder Kumar (alias Dalvinder, 34), also from Jalandhar, Punjab. He was traveling with Mandeep during the interception and assisted in transporting the weapons.
Rohan Tomar (30), from Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. An associate of Delhi-NCR gangs, including the Jitendra Gogi gang, Rohan was a recipient and distributor of the smuggled arms.
Ajay (alias Monu or Ajay Monu, 37), also from Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. He worked closely with Rohan in forwarding the weapons to end-users, including contract killers and extortion modules.
Interrogations revealed that the accused were operating under instructions from overseas handlers, including Jaspreet alias Jas – a close associate of US-based gangster Sonu Khatri (Rajesh Kumar), who has a Red Corner Notice against him – and direct ISI-backed suppliers in Pakistan.
10 sophisticated semi-automatic pistols, including: High-end Türkiye-manufactured PX-5.7 models (typically reserved for special forces due to their advanced design and lethality). China-made PX-3 pistols. 92 live cartridges of 0.30 bore. One white car used for transportation.
The recovery of PX-5.7 pistols is particularly alarming, as these are elite-grade firearms not commonly available in civilian markets and indicate a highly organized, state-sponsored supply chain aimed at arming criminal and potentially terrorist elements in India.
Police investigations uncovered a sophisticated cross-border operation: Weapons manufactured in Türkiye and China were first routed to Pakistan. ISI-linked traffickers in Pakistan used customized low-flying commercial drones (often in pairs – one for dropping payloads and another for recording video footage) to air-drop consignments wrapped in carbon paper (to evade detection) near vulnerable border stretches in Punjab during late-night hours.
Indian associates, like Mandeep and Dalvinder, retrieved the drops and transported them southward to distributors in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-NCR. The network supplied arms to notorious gangs, including those affiliated with Lawrence Bishnoi, Kaushal-Bambiha, Himanshu Bhau, and Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu, fueling gang wars, extortion, and contract killings.
DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav described the method as “highly modern and concerning,” noting that drones fly below radar coverage and carry small, high-value payloads to minimize risk.
This bust comes amid heightened security alerts following the November 10, 2025, car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort (which killed 13 and injured dozens) and the dismantling of a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)-linked terror module in Faridabad. Authorities are probing potential connections, as similar drone-smuggling tactics have been used for narcotics, explosives, and weapons by Pakistan-based handlers.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Surendra Kumar stated: “These arrests and seizures will yield critical leads into the network’s full extent, backward linkages in Pakistan, and intended recipients – preventing potential destabilization in the region.”
The operation highlights the evolving threat of drone-enabled cross-border smuggling, prompting calls for enhanced border surveillance and anti-drone technology deployment. Further arrests and recoveries are expected as the investigation continues.
Delhi Police have urged the public to report suspicious activities, reinforcing their commitment to curbing organized crime and terror financing. The accused have been booked under relevant sections of the Arms Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, with remand granted for deeper interrogation.
