Amritsar, June 22: Amritsar Police on Monday arrested three shooters involved in a series of extortion-linked firing and armed robbery incidents carried out on the directions of foreign-based handlers, officials said.
The Commissioner of Police Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, said the accused were part of a gang being remotely operated through virtual numbers by handlers based abroad, who targeted businessmen and residents in the region.
"We have apprehended three shooters who, acting on behalf of foreign-based handlers, committed sensational crimes such as armed robberies and targeted shootings to coerce victims into paying extortion money," Bhullar told ANI.
He further said a sophisticated weapon was recovered from the accused. "A highly sophisticated weapon, a Zigana pistol (30-calibre), was recovered from them," he added.
Explaining the modus operandi, the Commissioner said the gang specifically targeted financially well-off individuals after issuing extortion threats.
"The modus operandi of the gang was that handlers sitting abroad used virtual numbers to make extortion calls to financially well-off businessmen and residents, especially in the Tarn Taran, Amritsar rural and Zira areas," Bhullar said.
He added that in order to create fear and pressure, the gang used young recruits to carry out shootings. "To create pressure, they used these youngsters to open fire at predetermined locations. These youths, mostly between 18 to 25 years of age, were lured and misused by foreign-based gangsters," he said.
According to police, the accused were involved in at least six criminal incidents, including firing and robberies.
"They were involved in six incidents related to extortion and crime. Two firing incidents took place in the Goindwal Sahib area, including firing at a house and a tile business establishment after extortion calls were made. Another firing incident happened at a residence in Zira. Besides this, three petrol pump robberies were also committed by the accused," Bhullar added.
