The Delhi Police has arrested three alleged inter-State arm smugglers and recovered 1,020 live cartridges from them, raising security concerns ahead of US President Barack Obama’s visit to witness Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest. Though their interrogation did not reveal any terror angle, security agencies have taken this development seriously.
Those arrested have been identified as Mohammad Sharik (42), a resident of Meerut in Western UP, Faeeem Miya, alias Bunty (44) of Uttarakhand, Mohd Imran (32) a resident of Sitapur in UP. “They procured ammunition from Sitapur and sold them to criminal elements in Delhi and NCR. We recovered 1,020 live cartridges, including 100 cartridges of 9 mm, from them,” said Special Commissioner (Special Cell) SN Shrivastava.
An investigation into the growing use of sophisticated firearms over the past few years revealed that in most of the cases, illegal weapons used in commission of various crimes in Delhi were manufactured and supplied from MP and Bihar and ammunition from Eastern UP region.
A team of Special Cell, which has been keeping close tabs on these modules, got a tip-off on Wednesday that a huge consignment of ammunition would be brought near Welcome Metro station, Delhi.
“Acting on the tip-off, our staff laid a trap near Welcome Metro station. Around 10 pm, one Maruti EECO car bearing UP registration number came from Seelampur side. Two persons, later identified as Sharik and Faeeem were apprehended and 920 live cartridges of 7.65 mm, 9mm and 12 Bore were recovered from the car,” said DCP (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav.
During interrogation of the accused revealed that they procured the ammunition from one Mohd Imran of Sitapur, UP. Another team went to Sitapur and nabbed Imran. Another 100 live cartridges of 7.65 mm were recovered from him. Accordingly, separate FIRs under Arms Act was registered by the police. Further investigations are on, police said.