E-Paper
STF busts Illegal firearms racket in Meerut; one held, 21 pistols recovered
STF officials said that acting on intelligence inputs, police teams had been tracking gangs involved in the manufacture and trafficking of illegal firearms in western Uttar Pradesh. During surveillance, the STF received information that a man carrying a large cache of illegal weapons was waiting at the designated location. A joint team of the STF and the local police immediately conducted a raid and intercepted the suspect.
With the arrest of an alleged member and the recovery of 21 country-made .315 bore pistols along with equipment used to manufacture weapons, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has claimed to have busted an illegal firearms manufacturing and supply syndicate operating across western Uttar Pradesh.
According to officials, the accused was identified as Mohd Tajammul, a resident of Khair Nagar in the Dehli Gate police station area of Meerut. The arrest was made during a joint operation with the local police late on Saturday night near the road leading from the BSNL office towards Mall Road in the Lalkurti police station area.
STF officials said that acting on intelligence inputs, police teams had been tracking gangs involved in the manufacture and trafficking of illegal firearms in western Uttar Pradesh. During surveillance, the STF received information that a man carrying a large cache of illegal weapons was waiting at the designated location. A joint team of the STF and the local police immediately conducted a raid and intercepted the suspect.
During the search, police recovered 21 country-made .315 bore pistols, a hammer, 11 saw blades, two files, 23 welding rods, a chisel, a welding machine and a mobile phone.
STF officials claimed that during interrogation, the accused confessed to manufacturing illegal firearms with his associates for the past five years and supplying them across various districts of western Uttar Pradesh. He allegedly told investigators that each .315 bore pistol was sold for ₹4,000 to ₹5,000.
According to the STF, the accused is a repeat offender. In 2022, he was arrested by an STF team in Muzaffarnagar with 37 country-made pistols. After being released from jail, he allegedly resumed the illegal arms trade. Investigators said he was living in a rented house in Meerut and was waiting for his associates to transport the newly manufactured firearms to Muzaffarnagar when he was arrested.
Police records show that the accused has multiple criminal cases registered against him under the Arms Act and the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters Act. Following the latest recovery, an FIR has been registered at Lalkurti police station in Meerut under the relevant provisions of the Arms Act. Further legal proceedings are underway.
