CID arrests three who smuggled firearms to city from Munger

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested three persons from the city for their alleged involvement in smuggling arms.

The CID has recovered 69 rounds of cartridges from their possession. Acting on a tip-off, a team of CID raided a guest house situated near the Fancy Market under the Kidderpore police station in connection with a case lodged with Ballygunj government railway police in January this year.

The accused are Jamirul Hasan, alias Vicky, Md Shabbir and Md Chand Alam. Police suspect that Jamirul is the kingpin of an illegal arms smuggling racket operating from the state. All the accused were from Bihar.

Police came to know that Jamirul rented a room at the guest house on Tuesday and he introduced himself as a businessman dealing in garments. The other two accused came to the guest house later in the day.

Police came to know in the interrogation that the accused used to bring arms and ammunitions to the city from Munger. These arms were being taken to various parts of mainly three districts — Malda, North 24-Parganas and South 24-Parganas. The CID officers came to know that the arms and ammunitions were being sent to the most troubled areas of Kalichak in Malda, Basirhat and Bongaon in North 24 Parganas and Canning in South 24 Parganas.

According to the preliminary investigation, police suspect that the accused were a part of an interstate arms smuggling racket. Police also suspect that some other persons were also involved in the incident. They have started a probe to know the names of the other accused who might have been involved in the arms smuggling racket.

Police said that they seized 69 rounds of 7.65 mm ammunitions from them. The accused have been booked under various sections of Arms Act.

The accused used to the supply arms and ammunitions in three districts. It may be mentioned here that South 24-Parganas police in past few months identified a number of firearms manufacturing units in various parts of the district. Police came to know that some of the experts used to come from Bihar and run these units.

Police are also investigating if the accused had any connection with these arms producing units in South 24-Parganas apart from the fact that where were they supposed to sell the arms.