It was supposed to be a silent strike—one that would send shockwaves across India’s northwest. But thanks to sharp intelligence and swift action by Punjab Police, a sinister terror plot allegedly orchestrated from across the border has been thwarted just in time.
In a dramatic early-morning raid on January 16, 2026, in the village of Narot Jamal Singh near Pathankot, authorities recovered a chilling arsenal: **three AK-47 assault rifles, multiple pistols, over 200 rounds of live ammunition, and magazines**—all meticulously wrapped and hidden in a remote farmhouse . According to investigators, this Punjab weapons seizure has dismantled a critical logistics chain linked directly to Harvinder Singh alias Rinda, a Canada-based Khalistani extremist with known ties to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) .
The discovery isn’t just about guns—it’s evidence of a coordinated effort to reignite violence in Punjab, a state still healing from the scars of the 1980s insurgency. And with sophisticated foreign-made weapons like Turkish and Chinese-origin firearms involved, the implications reach far beyond local crime.
Table of Contents
- The Interception: How Police Uncovered the Cache
- Punjab Weapons Seizure: Forensic Clues and Foreign Links
- Who Is Harvinder Singh Rinda? The Mastermind Behind the Plot
- Why Pathankot? A Strategic Target for Terrorists
- Broader Pattern of Cross-Border Arms Smuggling
- What This Means for Punjab’s Security Future
- Conclusion: Vigilance in the Face of Hybrid Warfare
- Sources
The Interception: How Police Uncovered the Cache
Acting on a tip from a human intelligence source, Punjab Police’s Counter Intelligence wing launched a covert surveillance operation near the India-Pakistan border in Gurdaspur district. Over 72 hours, they tracked suspicious movements between villages before zeroing in on Narot Jamal Singh—a quiet hamlet just 30 km from the sensitive Pathankot Air Force Station .
At 4:30 a.m., commandos stormed the location. No suspects were present—the handlers had likely fled—but the weapons were fresh, oiled, and ready for deployment. “This wasn’t old stock,” said a senior officer. “These were meant for an imminent attack” .
Punjab Weapons Seizure: Forensic Clues and Foreign Links
Preliminary forensic analysis revealed alarming origins:
- AK-47 Rifles: Chinese-manufactured Type 56 variants, commonly used by militant groups in South Asia.
- Pistols: Turkish-made K2000 models, increasingly popular among transnational terror networks due to ease of concealment.
- Ammunition: Mixed batches bearing Pakistani military markings, suggesting diversion from state stockpiles.
Such a mix points to a well-resourced pipeline. Experts note that while China supplies arms to Pakistan legally, these weapons often leak into illicit markets. Turkey, meanwhile, has seen its small arms exported to conflict zones via gray-market dealers .
Who Is Harvinder Singh Rinda? The Mastermind Behind the Plot
Harvinder Singh, alias Rinda, is no ordinary fugitive. Once a low-level criminal in Punjab, he fled to Canada in the early 2000s and reinvented himself as a Khalistani ideologue. From Toronto, he now runs a network that funnels money, propaganda, and—allegedly—weapons into India.
Indian agencies believe Rinda coordinates with Pakistan-based handlers who arrange cross-border smuggling through drone drops or riverine routes along the Ravi and Sutlej. His group, designated a terrorist organization under India’s UAPA, has claimed responsibility for several recent grenade attacks in Amritsar and Jalandhar .
“Rinda’s goal is to create chaos and revive separatist sentiment,” says Dr. Meera Nanda, a security analyst at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA). “He sees Punjab as vulnerable due to youth unemployment and historical grievances” .
Why Pathankot? A Strategic Target for Terrorists
Pathankot isn’t random. It’s a nerve center:
- Home to a critical Indian Air Force base (target of the 2016 Jaish-e-Mohammed attack).
- A major railway junction connecting Jammu & Kashmir to mainland India.
- Close proximity to the Wagah border, enabling quick exfiltration.
An attack here would maximize media impact, strain military resources, and potentially ignite communal tensions—exactly what hybrid warfare tactics aim to achieve.
Broader Pattern of Cross-Border Arms Smuggling
This seizure fits a worrying trend. In the past 18 months alone, Indian forces have intercepted:
- Over 25 drones carrying pistols and IED components along the Punjab border.
- A boat-borne arms drop in Gujarat’s Kutch region (December 2025).
- Multiple caches of Pakistani-made grenades in Rajasthan’s Barmer district.
The Ministry of Home Affairs reports a 40% year-on-year increase in arms smuggling attempts since 2024, with Punjab remaining the primary infiltration corridor .
What This Means for Punjab’s Security Future
In response, Punjab Police have launched “Operation Iron Fence”—a multi-agency initiative involving drone-jamming tech, AI-powered border surveillance, and community policing to detect radicalization early. The state is also pushing for faster prosecution of terror-related cases through dedicated NIA courts.
But long-term stability requires more than enforcement. Addressing root causes—like economic marginalization and online hate speech—is equally vital to deny terrorists fertile ground.
Conclusion: Vigilance in the Face of Hybrid Warfare
The Punjab weapons seizure is a stark reminder that terrorism hasn’t vanished—it’s evolved. With state-backed actors using proxy networks and foreign weaponry, India’s security apparatus must stay several steps ahead. Thanks to the alertness of Punjab Police, a potential tragedy was averted. But as long as hostile elements seek to destabilize the region, the watch must never end.
Sources
- Times of India – Plot to destabilise Punjab? Pak sent Turkish, Chinese weapons seized in Pathankot
- Ministry of Home Affairs, India – Annual Report on Border Security & Counter-Terrorism (2025)
- Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) – Khalistani Extremism: New Tactics, Old Agendas