‘Arms supplier’ held in Delhi, 15 automatic pistols recovered

Delhi Police special cell arrested 23-year-old man from Nand Nagari with a consignment of 15 sophisticated automatic pistols allegedly manufactured in Madhya Pradesh.

The special cell of Delhi Police have arrested a 23-year-old man allegedly involved in smuggling firearms into Delhi from Madhya Pradesh, police said on Tuesday. Fifteen sophisticated automatic pistols made at illegal firearm manufacturing units in Madhya Pradesh were seized from him.

Fifteen sophisticated automatic pistols made at illegal firearm manufacturing units in Madhya Pradesh were seized from a 23-year-old man arrested on Monday. (Photo for representation only/HT FILE)

Pramod Singh Kushwah, deputy commissioner of police (special cell), said that the arrested man, identified as Suresh, was a resident of Madhya Pradesh and had come to Delhi to supply the consignment of firearms. “We arrested him on Monday from Nand Nagri area in northeast Delhi. Fifteen pistols of good quality were recovered from him,” Kushwah said.

Police said the seized pistols were manufactured at Khargone and other neighbouring districts such as Khandwa, Barwani and Dhar of Madhya Pradesh, allegedly by a local tribe called Sikligars.

According to a police officer, Suresh had come to Delhi to deliver the consignment of firearms to a local dealer. “He is being questioned to establish the identity of the receiver. We will also try to find out if he had visited Delhi in the past for similar illegal purpose,” the officer said.

Suresh has reportedly told police that his gang was involved in manufacturing and smuggling firearms in various parts of Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Efforts were on to identify and nab his associates, police said.

In January this year, two traffickers of firearms — Praveen Chaudhary and his uncle Amar Singh — were arrested by the special cell with 18 sophisticated pistols and 25 magazines. A Maruti Swift Dzire car, which the two were using to smuggle the firearms into Delhi, was also seized.