Jammu, Jan 10: Police in Samba district arrested a wanted criminal and recovered a country-made pistol from his possession on Saturday, marking a significant breakthrough in an organized crime case registered last year, officials said.
The accused has been identified as Pritam Singh, alias “Sethi”, a resident of Jedra village in the Ramgarh area of Samba district. He was wanted in connection with an organized crime case registered at Vijaypur police station in 2025, a police spokesperson said.
Singh’s arrest represents the fourth apprehension in the ongoing investigation into the criminal network. Earlier, three of his known associates were arrested by police, and three country-made pistols were recovered from their possession during separate operations.
Acting on specific intelligence input about Singh’s whereabouts, a police team launched a targeted operation in the Ramgarh area. Following sustained efforts and surveillance, the accused was successfully apprehended on Saturday, the spokesperson said.
During interrogation, Singh made crucial disclosures about the location of the illegal firearm. Based on his confession, police recovered one country-made pistol from his native village of Jedra. The weapon has been seized and sent for forensic examination and ballistic analysis to determine if it was used in any previous criminal activities.
Police sources revealed that the organized crime syndicate, in which Singh was allegedly involved, had been operating in the region for some time. The gang is suspected of being involved in various illegal activities, including arms smuggling, extortion, and other criminal operations across the border areas of Jammu division.
“The arrest of Pritam Singh is a major success in our sustained crackdown on organized crime networks operating in the region. We had been tracking his movements for several weeks after his associates were arrested,” the spokesperson said.
The earlier arrests of Singh’s three accomplices had provided crucial leads that helped investigators narrow down his location. The recovery of multiple country-made pistols from the gang members indicates their involvement in illegal arms trade and other serious offenses, officials said.
Investigators believe that the criminal network may have larger connections and ramifications extending beyond Samba district. The gang’s activities were being closely monitored by multiple police units working in coordination to dismantle the entire network.
“Further investigation of the case is currently underway. We are interrogating the accused to uncover more details about the gang’s operations, their supply chain for illegal weapons, and other individuals who may be part of this criminal network,” the spokesperson said.
Police have intensified their efforts to track down any remaining members of the organized crime syndicate. Additional teams have been deployed to gather intelligence and conduct raids at suspected hideouts across the district.
The arrest comes amid intensified police action against criminal elements and illegal weapons in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in border districts where such activities pose significant security concerns. Authorities have made it a priority to crack down on organized crime and the proliferation of illegal firearms in the region.
Officials stated that strict legal action would be taken against all those found involved in the organized crime network, and efforts would continue until the entire gang is dismantled and brought to justice.
The recovered pistol and other evidence collected during the investigation will be presented before the court as part of the prosecution’s case against the accused.
