Six KZF Operatives Sentenced to Life for Smuggling Arms via Drones in Punjab..

Punjab : A special NIA court in Mohali has sentenced six operatives of the banned Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) to life imprisonment for smuggling arms and explosives into Punjab using drones in 2019. The court, presided over by Special Judge Manjot Kaur, also sentenced three other accused to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment. The case was initially investigated by Punjab Police before being handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in October 2019.

According to the NIA investigation, the accused were involved in collecting, transporting, and smuggling a significant cache of weapons, ammunition, explosives, and fake Indian currency notes (FICN) sent from Pakistan via drones. The operation was orchestrated by Germany-based terrorist Gurmeet Singh, alias Bagga, and Pakistan-based terrorist Ranjeet Singh, alias Neeta, both associated with KZF. Authorities arrested the operatives while they were transporting weapons and contraband. The seizure included AK-47 rifles, pistols, grenades, satellite phones, walkie-talkies, and counterfeit currency worth ₹10 lakh.

The investigation revealed that Bagga and Neeta were in contact with Amritsar jail inmate Mann Singh, who influenced one of his fellow inmates, Akashdeep Singh, to join the operation after his release. Akashdeep, along with his associates, retrieved the weapons air-dropped by drones from Pakistan. On September 22, 2019, Punjab Police intercepted a car near Chohla Sahib and arrested Akashdeep, Balwant Singh, Balbir Singh, and Harbhajan Singh. Further searches led to the recovery of firearms, ammunition, communication devices, and fake currency.

The case underscores the growing use of drones for cross-border smuggling and the persistent efforts of terrorist groups to revive militancy in Punjab. Security agencies continue to remain on high alert to counter such threats.