Chandigarh, Oct 20 (IANS): In an intelligence-led operation, Punjab Police on Wednesday recovered huge arms and ammunition, besides heroin at a search operation close to the Indo-Pak border in Tarn Taran district of Punjab.

The operation was jointly conducted by the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Counter Intelligence Amritsar in the Khemkaran sector.

Officiating Director General of Police Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota said the police received a tip-off that some Pakistani border operatives had concealed a huge consignment of arms and heroin, following which Counter Intelligence Amritsar was sent at the spot and a search operation was planned with the BSF.

He said during the combing operation, the teams have recovered 22 pistols (most of them .30 bore Star mark) along with 44 magazines and 100 rounds, besides a packet of heroin weighing 934 grams packed in a black coloured kit bag concealed in a paddy field.

During the preliminary investigations, it has come to light that as 'conceal and clear' has been the most practised modus operandi of Pakistani smugglers, this consignment was placed by them in Indian territory across the fence and it was supposed to be retrieved by their Indian associates.

The DGP said a case has been registered. Efforts are being made to ascertain the identity of the Pakistanis and their Indian links who were to pick this consignment.

This is not the first time the anti-national elements have tried to push such consignments through various channels across the border.

In the past huge caches of illegal weapons have been recovered by the Counter Intelligence wing.

On June 10 a consignment of foreign-made 48 pistols was recovered from Jagjit Singh. In another operation, the Counter Intelligence wing had recovered 39 pistols from Barwani in Madhya Pradesh.