Special Cell busts inter-state arms cartel, arrests two and seizes eight illegal pistols
New Delhi: The Delhi Police’s Special Cell has successfully dismantled an interstate illegal arms supply cartel with the arrest of two key members and the recovery of eight illicit pistols.
The accused were identified as Arvind Kumar alias Sanjay (45) son of Raghubir Sahai resident of Kasba Pali, Hardoi, Uttar Pradesh, and Vinod Kumar (48) son of Anwar Singh resident of Etah Chauraha, Sikohabad, Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh.
According to the police, the operation, led by a team from the Special Cell’s TYR unit under the supervision of ACP Kailash Singh Bisht, marks a significant victory in the ongoing battle against illegal firearms trafficking in the Delhi-NCR region.
The arrested individuals were apprehended near the Indane gas depot on the service road of Agra Canal Road, Jaitpur, Delhi. Acting on specific intelligence, the Special Cell team laid a trap at the location, where the duo arrived to deliver a consignment of illegal firearms.
During the operation, the police recovered four .32 bore pistols from each suspect, totaling eight illicit firearms.
The interrogation of the arrested individuals revealed that they had been involved in illegal arms trafficking for over eight years. Vinod Kumar had previously been arrested in 2018 for possessing a large consignment of illegal arms and ammunition in Delhi. Arvind Kumar had established an illicit arms manufacturing unit in Pali, Uttar Pradesh, and was also arrested by local police. However, after securing bail, both men resumed their illegal activities instead of reforming.
The two traffickers were reportedly in contact with illegal arms manufacturers based in Khargone, Madhya Pradesh.
They used social media platforms to communicate with suppliers and buyers of illicit firearms. The suspects would procure these arms at a cost of Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 per piece and then sell them for Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000
per piece.
In the past week, they received an offer to supply the weapons at a higher rate of Rs 40,000 per piece to an associate of a notorious gangster based in Delhi. Consequently, they agreed to deliver the consignment in Delhi.
Vinod Kumar, educated up to the 10th standard, became involved in arms trafficking through local criminals. Arrested in 2018, he was charged under the Arms Act. Arvind Kumar, with an 8th standard education, established an illegal arms unit and has multiple arrests under the IPC and Arms Act.
