Varanasi: Ballia police busted a gang of arms smugglers by arresting its two members on Sunday night when they were camping in Nauranga village under the limits of Bairiya police station to sell carbine, other arms and ammunition. The police also recovered a carbine, a country-made revolver and 80 live cartridges apart from two fake arms licences from them.
“The police team has been given a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh by additional chief secretary (home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi to boost the morale of force,” said SP Ballia Vipin Tada.
Producing the arrested arms smugglers before reporters on Monday, Tada said, “Acting on a tip-off a joint team of special weapons and tactics (SWAT) and Bairiya police raided Nauranga, a remote village on Bihar border, late night and arrested Amarendra Thakur and Raju Sharma.”
These arrests were made after the police team recovered a carbine, a country-made revolver and 80 live cartridges apart from two fake arms licecses. Tools for arms manufacturing were also recovered from their possession, he said adding both of them were sent to jail after lodging FIRs in this connection.
During initial interrogation Amarenadra divulged that his uncle Vinod was the leader of the gang in which his father and other accomplices are active, said Tada adding, this gang use to procure arms and ammunition from Bihar to sell in Buxar, Rohtas, Bhojpur and also Prayagraj, Ghazipur and others in east UP. Despite being active in this trade, no criminal history of the members of this gang was found.
They were demanding Rs 2.70 lakh for the carbine, said Tada mentioning that efforts have been intensified to nab kingpin and other members of this gang.