Chandigarh | An alleged key operative of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has been arrested, a top Punjab Police officer said on Tuesday.

Himanshu Sood, a resident of Phagwara in the Kapurthala district, was allegedly acting on the directions of Dubai-based Namit Sharma, who is a close-aide of gangster Bishnoi, said Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav.

Three pistols with seven cartridges have allegedly been recovered from his possession, he said.

"Recently, Himanshu Sood along with his other gang members fired gunshots at a hotelier in #Haridwar on the directions of Namit Sharma and was further tasked to eliminate other 2 targets in #MadhyaPradesh and #Kapurthala respectively," said Yadav in a post on X.

Backed by human intelligence and technical inputs, the team successfully dismantled this targeted killing module, averting a serious threat to public safety, he further said.

His arrest marks another significant step in the ongoing crackdown on gangster networks with international linkages, said the DGP.

"Recovery: 2 pistols (one .30 bore PX3 Pistol with 04 live cartridges and one .32 Pistol with 3 live cartridges)," said Yadav.

An FIR has been registered at the State Special Operation Cell police station in Amritsar.

Further investigation is underway to identify other associates and establish forward and backward linkages, said police.