Couple arrested at Delhi's IGI Airport with 45 pistols
Customs authorities apprehended two Indian citizens carrying 45 pistols at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi on Wednesday, said reports. An inquiry is presently ongoing to ascertain if the pistols are real or not, as per NDTV. Meanwhile, the National Security Guard (NSG), which is investigating the case, stated that the firearms appear to be "absolutely real."
What did the customs officials say?
"in a preliminary report, the National Security Guard has confirmed that the guns are fully functional," a customs official told PTI. The arrested persons have been identified as Jagjit Singh and Jaswinder Kaur who happen to be husband and wife. The couple returned to India from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on Sunday and have been kept under surveillance since then, reported NDTV.
Accused couple smuggled firearms from Vietnam: Officials
Officials told NDTV that Singh was captured with two trolley bags containing firearms, which his brother Manjit Singh had given to him. Manjit reportedly gave the bags to Singh in Vietnam after reaching there from Paris, France, and then "slipped out of the airport." Later, Kaur assisted her husband in removing and destroying the trolley bags' tags, they said.
Market value of these guns around Rs. 22.5 lakh
"Further, examination of these two trolley bags carried by passenger 1 (Singh) resulted in the recovery of 45 pieces of assorted brand guns," customs officials said, adding that the market value of these guns goes up to Rs. 22.5 lakh.
What charges were invoked against the accused?
The couple allegedly confessed to previously smuggling 25 guns from Turkey worth Rs. 12.5 lakh, too, the officials said. "The accused were arrested under Section 104 of the Customs Act (power to arrest) and the trolleys along with firearms were seized under Section 110 of the Act (seizure of goods.) Further investigation is in progress," an official told The Indian Express.
