A police team posted at a checkpoint in Sharon, Punjab noticed a car being driven recklessly. They immediately signalled the Maruti Suzuki Swift to stop. Instead of stopping the car, the occupants of the car tried to flee. However, they could not escape and collided with police barricades.
Police found that the car was carrying Harpreet Singh alias Happy and Lovepreet Singh, who have a criminal history. A search of the vehicle yielded four Glock 19 pistols, one of which had ‘Made for NATO Army’ written on it, four magazines, seven live cartridges and hawala money worth Rs 4.8 lakh.
After this successful operation, Punjab DGP said that Harpreet Singh had direct links with a Pakistan-based smuggler who used to supply arms and drugs across the India-Pakistan border through drones. Tarn Taran Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Tora said, ‘Investigation has revealed that accused Harpreet has supplied arms to criminals several times.’
The recovery of weapons made for NATO is not limited to this incident in Punjab. This incident shows how weapons made by America and sent for NATO are reaching the hands of terrorists and criminals in India, which is becoming a threat to the peace and security of the country.
Similar NATO-grade weapons and ammunition have been recovered from terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir. Such reports show that a dangerous nexus exists between global arms smuggling and terrorism.
In such a situation, the question arises that how do these weapons reach the black market from legitimate military reserves, and then how and why do they come to India?
US weapons left in Afghanistan
During the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in 2021, a large amount of military equipment was left behind. Most of which went into the hands of the Taliban. This new weapon stockpile of the Taliban made it possible to supply advanced weapons to terrorist organizations and non-state actors.
According to a US Department of Defense report, ‘The Afghan government had US-funded equipment worth $7.12 billion, most of which is now in the hands of the Taliban.’
According to reports, the Taliban sold these weapons, which were later used by terrorist organisations like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in operations against India.
Similar US weapons have also been seen in use during the Israel-Hamas war, where Hamas terrorists were seen with M4 assault rifles in viral videos on social media.
Dangerous use of US weapons in Kashmir
Pakistan-backed terrorists in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir have been using US weapons in recent times. These terrorists have used steel core bullets and night-vision glasses left by the US for NATO troops.
In January 2023, NBC News quoted Indian officials as saying that Pakistan-backed militants have M4, M16 and other US-made weapons and ammunition. US weapons such as M4 carbines and M16 assault rifles began appearing in Kashmir in 2020.
A new ‘sticky bomb’ was also seen in Kashmir recently. A similar bomb was used in the attack on a bus of Hindu pilgrims in Kashmir in May, in which four pilgrims were killed and 24 injured. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is investigating the case to see if the terrorists used ‘sticky bombs’.
In a July 1 report, The Tribune reported that American, Austrian and Turkish-made weapons and ammunition had also been recovered in Kashmir.
Proliferation of high-tech US weapons in India
In February 2023, Major General Ajay Chandpuria of the Indian Army admitted that American weapons were reaching Kashmir from Afghanistan. He said, ‘The weapons and equipment we recovered showed that high-tech weapons, night-vision equipment left by America in Afghanistan are now coming towards India.’
During the Raisina Dialogue in 2022, former Army Chief General MM Naravane had also stressed that the number of weapons coming from Afghanistan is increasing.
How NATO grade weapons reach India
Criminal networks specialising in arms smuggling operate globally. They obtain NATO surplus or stolen weapons and smuggle them clandestinely to places such as India.
These networks often involve brokers who arrange the sale and transportation of weapons, linking sellers with buyers in countries where such items are illegal or restricted.
This is where Pakistani intelligence agents and their minions operate. Their role in smuggling weapons into India using drones has been established. The global arms trade is a complex and murky network involving state and non-state actors as well as arms dealers.
The source of the weapons in the Tarn Taran incident was found in Pakistan, whose arms markets smuggle weapons meant for NATO. The finding of NATO-grade and US-made weapons in India is not just a security lapse. It is time for the US and its allies to plug the supply leaks of these weapons and ensure that they are carefully traced to where they go.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)