On November 22, 2025, Delhi Police’s Crime Branch dismantled a sophisticated international arms smuggling network linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), seizing 10 high-tech semi-automatic pistols and 92 live cartridges in a raid in Rohini. Four suspects — Mandeep, Dalvinder, Rohan, and Ajay — were arrested mid-transaction, caught red-handed in a white Swift Dzire sedan carrying the weapons. The operation, triggered by intelligence from multiple agencies, has exposed a transnational pipeline stretching from Turkey and China through Pakistan to Punjab, and finally into Delhi-NCR — all aimed at arming some of India’s most violent gang networks.
How the Smuggling Network Operated
The weapons didn’t cross borders in suitcases or trucks. They flew — via drones. According to police, the arms were manufactured in Turkey and China, then shipped by drone from Pakistan into Punjab’s border districts. From there, local couriers moved them in small batches to Delhi, often using unsuspecting transporters and rented vehicles. The final delivery point? A warehouse in Rohini, where Mandeep and Dalvinder were waiting to hand off the shipment to middlemen connected to ganglords like Lawrence Vishnoi, Bampiha, Gogi, Himanshu Bhai, and Tillo Tajpuriya. These gangs, already entrenched in extortion and contract killings, were being armed for a new wave of targeted violence.
"This wasn’t just smuggling," said a senior Crime Branch officer. "It was a calibrated terror campaign. The weapons weren’t meant for street crime. They were meant to destabilize." The timing was chilling: just ten days after the Jaish-e-Mohammed-linked blast near Red Fort, which killed three and injured 17, this operation exposed a parallel, coordinated effort to fuel chaos in the capital.
ISI’s Role and the Masterminds Behind the Scenes
Delhi Police believe the entire operation was directed by ISI handlers based in Pakistan and Dubai. The four arrested men? Foot soldiers. Their job: receive, store, and deliver. The real architects remain hidden. Investigators are now tracing encrypted messages, bank transfers to shell accounts in the UAE, and social media activity tied to a shadowy figure known only as "Sardar" — a Pakistani national believed to be coordinating from Lahore and Dubai. Phone records show repeated calls between Dalvinder and a number registered in Karachi, while one of the pistols had a serial number matching a batch reported missing from a Turkish arms depot in 2024.
"They used the same route that smuggled fake currency and opioids," added another officer. "But this time, the payload was precision-engineered for maximum lethality. These aren’t street guns. These are military-grade, with suppressors and extended magazines. Someone knew exactly what they were buying." The weapons are now undergoing forensic analysis to determine if they match those used in unsolved attacks across northern India.
Link to the Red Fort Blast and Broader Security Concerns
The Red Fort blast on November 12, 2025, which targeted a tourist area near the historic gate, was the first major attack in Delhi in over five years. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) quickly arrested four individuals — including two doctors and a cleric — linked to the plot. But the Rohini raid suggests that operation was only one branch of a larger design. While the Red Fort blast aimed to spread fear among civilians, the arms smuggling network targeted the criminal underworld — turning gangs into proxy weapons.
"It’s a two-pronged strategy," explained a former NIA analyst. "One, create panic with symbolic attacks. Two, arm the chaos-makers who operate below the radar. When gangs start killing each other or targeting political figures, the state gets distracted. That’s the game." The ISI has been accused of similar tactics before — notably during the 2016 Pathankot attack and the 2019 Pulwama aftermath — but this is the first time a drone-based arms pipeline into Delhi has been so clearly documented.
What Comes Next: The Web Expands
Delhi Police are now working with the NIA, IB, and Punjab Police to trace the full network. Financial probes have already frozen three bank accounts linked to the suspects, with over ₹4.7 million transferred from Dubai-based wallets between June and November 2025. Social media analysis shows the suspects used Telegram channels with Arabic and Urdu codes to coordinate pickups. One intercepted message read: "The birds are flying again. Tell the brothers in Delhi to expect the package before Eid."
Authorities suspect at least six more couriers are still active, and two drone operators may be operating from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. A joint task force has been formed, with satellite imagery being used to track drone launch sites near Sialkot and Faisalabad. The government has also ordered enhanced drone detection systems along the Punjab-Delhi corridor.
Why This Matters Beyond Delhi
This isn’t just about guns in Rohini. It’s about the evolution of asymmetric warfare. Terrorist groups no longer need to send suicide bombers. They can now arm criminals — people who don’t wear uniforms, don’t make headlines, and operate in the shadows of India’s sprawling urban centers. The weapons seized here could have fueled a dozen more attacks. The fact that they were intercepted is a win — but it’s also a warning.
"We stopped one shipment," said the Crime Branch chief. "But the pipeline is still open. And the next one? It might not be pistols. It might be explosives. Or chemicals. We’re bracing for worse." The public, for now, remains unaware of how close they came to another wave of violence. But the police? They’re not sleeping.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Delhi Police discover this arms network?
Delhi Police received classified intelligence from multiple agencies, including the IB and NIA, about unusual drone activity near the Punjab-Delhi border. Cross-referencing financial data and mobile tower pings led them to the suspects’ WhatsApp groups and bank transfers from Dubai. A sting operation was set up at a warehouse in Rohini, where the suspects were caught transferring the weapons.
What’s the connection between ISI and the arrested suspects?
The four arrested men were low-level operatives — couriers and transporters. But their communications, payment patterns, and weapon specifications match patterns used in past ISI-backed operations. Investigators believe handlers in Pakistan and Dubai gave them orders via encrypted apps, with no direct contact. The weapons themselves bear markings linked to ISI-procured arms from Turkey.
Why were these weapons meant for ganglords like Lawrence Vishnoi?
Ganglords like Vishnoi control vast criminal networks in Delhi-NCR, often used for extortion, land grabs, and targeted killings. Arming them creates chaos without direct state involvement — a classic proxy strategy. If gangs start eliminating rivals or attacking political figures, it distracts law enforcement and fuels public fear, which benefits hostile intelligence agencies.
Is this the first time drones have been used to smuggle weapons into India?
No. In 2023, Punjab Police intercepted a drone carrying heroin and a pistol near Amritsar. But this is the first time a drone has been used to smuggle military-grade pistols into Delhi’s core, with clear links to a foreign intelligence agency. The scale, precision, and coordination mark a dangerous escalation in cross-border tactics.
What’s being done to stop future drone smuggling?
The government has approved a ₹220 crore drone detection system for the Punjab-Delhi corridor, with radar, RF jammers, and AI-powered tracking. Airports near Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Sonipat are being retrofitted with counter-drone tech. Delhi Police have also formed a specialized UAV interception unit, trained by Israeli experts.
How does this relate to the Red Fort blast?
The Red Fort blast was a high-profile terror attack meant to create panic. The arms smuggling operation was a quieter, long-term strategy to arm criminal networks and create sustained instability. Both are believed to be part of the same ISI playbook — one designed to overwhelm India’s security response by attacking from multiple angles at once.