Delhi Police Special Cell busted an interstate arms syndicate and held two from UP

New Delhi, September 16

Delhi Police Special Cell busted an interstate arms syndicate and held two arms suppliers.   

The accused were identified as Shivam Sharma alias Chhanga and Krishan Kumar from Aligarh in UP.

The special cell stated that both have been arrested during the intervening night of 14 and 15 September near ISBT Anand Vihar Delhi.

The police seized 15 illegal pistols and 40 live cartridges- 10 semi-automatic pistols of .32 bore with its 20 live cartridges and 5 country made pistols of .315 bore with its 20 live cartridges have been recovered from the arrested duo.

The special cell has been working to bust the syndicates operating in Delhi for illegal arms trade and while working on the same, they received information on the duo. The police mounted surveillance on movements and illegal activities of the members of one such syndicate.  

The special cell had received information that Shivam and Krishan had collected the consignment of firearms and ammunition from an arms supplier of MP and both would arrive at a spot near ISBT Anand Vihar to hand over the delivery of the weapons to one of their contact.

The officials laid a trap was near ISBT Anand Vihar where both were apprehended. 

Eight semi automatic pistols of .32 bore and its 20 live cartridges were recovered from the bag of accused Shivam, whereas 2 semi automatic pistols of .32 bore alongwith 5 single shot pistols of .315 bore with 20 live cartridges of .315 were recovered from the bag of Krishan at spot.

A case for arms trafficking u/s 25.8 of Arms (amendment) Act of the year 2019 has been registered against both the arrested firearms suppliers. 

The officials added that in this newly incorporated section of amended arms act of the year 2019, there is a provision of minimum sentence of 10 years of punishment which is extendable upto life imprisonment and also punishable with fine. Intent of legislation was to curb the increasing the menace of arms trafficking in the country.

DCP (Special Cell) Pramod Kushwaha states that the persons have disclosed to have procured recovered firearms and ammunition from a notorious arms manufacturer cum supplier of Khaknaar in Burhanpur of MP.  Both the above arrested persons have been indulging in regularly procuring of firearms from arms manufacturers of MP and further supplying the same to gangsters, hardened criminals and small arms peddlers in Delhi NCR and adjoining states of UP, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan etc. for the last 4 years. 

The duo running this syndicate have already supplied more than 600 firearms in Delhi NCR and adjoining states during last four years, officials added.

The special cell stated that they used to purchase a semi - automatic pistol for a sum of Rs. 7000/- and a single shot pistol for a sum of Rs. 1000/- from MP and they further used to sell the English pistol for a sum of Rs. 25,000/-  and single shot pistol for a sum of Rs. 4000/- to the criminals  in Delhi NCR.  Shivam has also been found previously arrested in criminal cases including of arms trafficking and theft in UP.

The police are further investigating the case to identify and arrest the backward and forward linkages of the syndicate.