E-Paper
Maoist arms dealer caught near Lalgarh
The state police apprehended a CPI (Maoist) operative with a cache of arms, while he was en route to Lalgarh in West Midnapore, around 180 km southwest of Kolkata.
The state police apprehended a CPI (Maoist) operative with a cache of arms, while he was en route to Lalgarh in West Midnapore, around 180 km southwest of Kolkata.
The catch included around 250 detonators, 150 rounds of .315 bullets, 50 rounds bullets for 9mm pistols and around 75 rounds for revolvers. The 28-year-old Maoist was identified as Mohammed Khalek alias Gautam Das.
Intelligence sources said that he got these arms from Sentu, an arms dealer based out of Suri in Birbhum, around 225 km north of Kolkata.
HT learnt that the man was picked up from somewhere in the area bordering the two districts of Bankura and West Midnapore.
The catch is amongst the most substantial ones since the West Bengal Police and the Central paramilitary forces started anti-Maoist operations at Lalgarh in June.
According to a police official, the arrest proved that while looting arms from police armoury was their usual modus operandi, the rebels also procured arms and ammunition from local dealers. A combined team of Kolkata Police and Bengal Police intercepted Khalek on Sunday.
