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As Pune sees surge in illegal gun trade, police crackdown on supply chain
Gun violence is rising in Pune, linked to illegal firearms from neighboring states. Recent police busts reveal a thriving illegal arms trade.
Pune: Gun violence is becoming alarmingly common in Pune, with incidents like the shooting down of former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporator Vanraj Andekar at Nana Peth and the recent firing at an ice cream parlour in Saswad. Whether it’s gang wars, robberies, or sudden provocation, firearms are increasingly being used in the city and district. The rise of social media trends glamorising guns in reels has only added to the menace. The pressing question remains: where are these guns coming from?
The growing number of firing incidents in Pune has exposed the flourishing illegal firearms trade. While around 7,200 residents in the city possess licenced firearms for personal security and other reasons, according to the police special branch, a significant number of individuals illegally possess guns.
Sources within the police department suggest that neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are key suppliers of illegal firearms. On Thursday, the Pimpri-Chinchwad police busted a firearms racket, arresting five individuals and seizing seven country-made pistols, 14 live rounds, two magazines, and a car, with the total seizure valued at ₹15.65 lakh.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Pradip alias Akashy Balasaheb Dhage, 28, from Shirur; Suraj Ashok Shivale, 24, from Shirur; Naval Zhamare, 23, from Perne Phata; Kamlesh alias Dady Kanade, 29, from Moshi; and Pavan Dattatraya Shejwal, 35, from Narayangaon.
During the investigation, it was revealed that the firearms were being manufactured in the forest areas of Burhanpur and Sendhava districts in Madhya Pradesh. Police say the Shikalgar community, particularly from Pachori village in Madhya Pradesh, is involved in setting up illegal gun-manufacturing units. The units use scrap metal to manufacture guns, which are then transported to Pune.
Police suspect that workers from Madhya Pradesh who are employed in Pune serve as key contacts in facilitating the illegal arms deals. One of the arrested individuals, Zamare, originally hails from Burhanpur and is a daily wage labourer working at various construction sites in Pune. “Many of Zamare’s relatives are involved in the illegal gun trade, and he sold the firearms in Pune and nearby areas,” said senior inspector Vijay Dhamal.
Zamare’s role in the racket was primarily to secure gun orders from known contacts in Pune and adjoining areas. He was selective about whom he dealt with, only accepting orders from individuals he was familiar with, avoiding new or unknown customers.
The Shikalgar community, using scrap metal, can manufacture a gun at a cost of ₹5,000 to ₹7,000. The firearms are then sold in Pune for ₹30,000 to ₹35,000, depending on the buyer. “Agents like Zamare acquire these guns for ₹12,000 to ₹15,000 from the manufacturers and resell them at a much higher price,” Dhamal said. The selling price often varies based on the status of the buyer.
In recent months, several incidents of firearm misuse have occurred in Pune. On August 12, a security guard from Sinhagad Road allegedly carried his licenced air gun in public and threatened bystanders in Vishrantwadi. On August 22, the police registered an FIR under Section 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and sections of the Arms Act against the guard and his two employers. On June 9, a 31-year-old real estate developer shot himself dead using his licenced pistol in his office at Narhe.
