Interstate firearms syndicate busted, one arrested with 10 pistols

The arrest yielded 10 semi-automatic pistols of .32 bore, 20 live cartridges and seven extra magazines, in addition to the 10 standard magazines supplied with the weapons — a total of 17 magazines.

Police have arrested a “key member of an inter-state illegal firearms syndicate” and recovered a large cache of weapons including 10 semi-automatic pistols from his possession on Wednesday evening, in a major crackdown ahead of Independence Day, officials said on Saturday.

An FIR under Section 25(8) of the Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019, has been registered at Sarita Vihar police station. (Representational image)

According to the police, the accused, identified as Amit Kumar, 29, a resident of Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, was nabbed near the Kos Minar roundabout in Jasola by the Special Task Force (STF) of Delhi Police’s southeast district.

The arrest yielded 10 semi-automatic pistols of .32 bore, 20 live cartridges and seven extra magazines, in addition to the 10 standard magazines supplied with the weapons — a total of 17 magazines, said deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Hemant Tiwari.

“Acting on month-long surveillance of known firearms suppliers in Madhya Pradesh, STF teams developed specific intelligence about Kumar’s movements. A trap was laid between 8.30pm and 9.30pm at the Jasola location. At 8.45pm, Kumar, carrying a bag, was intercepted by a police team. A search of the bag revealed the consignment,” he said.

He said that Kumar had procured the arms from a manufacturer in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh.

“During interrogation, he admitted to having supplied over 150 pistols in Delhi-NCR in the past two years, catering primarily to criminal networks. He also admitted that he had bought each pistol for ₹12,000–15,000 in Madhya Pradesh and sold them to criminals for ₹30,000–40,000 in Delhi-NCR and other states. Initially roped in by a fellow villager, he began as a courier but soon established his own distribution network. Kumar, a graduate, also worked as a recovery agent in a private bank in UP’s Bhadohi district,” he added.

An FIR under Section 25(8) of the Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019, has been registered at Sarita Vihar police station.

“Efforts are on to identify and nab other members of the syndicate. The recovery has dealt a significant blow to illegal arms trafficking in the region, especially ahead of the high-security Independence Day period,” Tiwari added.