Arrest of arms suppliers by UP ATS exposes illegal weapon manufacturing network

Prayagraj: The arrest of six illegal arms suppliers has proved to be a shot in the arm for UP police in exposing the networking of racketeers who used to invite illegal weapon manufacturers from Bihar to shape “fined shaped kattas and pistols.” A joint team of UP ATS and Lalganj ( Pratapgarh) police had on Sunday arrested six persons from a house at Asrahi village and seized two country-made pistols of 0.32 bore, two country-made pistols of 0.315 bore, two country-made pistols of 0.12 bore, 23 half made pistols of 0.32 bore, 46 half made pistol’s magazines, 300 live cartridges of 0.32 bore, 17 frames of the country made pistols, 30 other barrels, and other apparatus on the spot.
The police have also arrested six persons operating an interstate illegal weapon sale and manufacturing racket and identified them as Shyal Alam alias Chotu, Mohd Sarfaraz Alam, Mohd Azad, all residents of Munger, Triu Pati Nath Verma alias Guddu Gandhi of Gorakhpur, Swalheen Ansari alias Babloo of Lalganj ( Pratapgarh) and his son Aqleen Ansari of Lalganj.
Police, however, said that arrested Swalheen Ansari alias Babloo was operating the entire racket of sale and manufacturing illegal weapons unit from his house for the past four to five years and he had been calling katta manufacturers from Bihar on demand for shaping fine shaped kattas and pistols.
Police also revealed that Babloo has a vast network of agents working on a commission basis and supplying it to criminals gangs across UP districts. Arrested agent Tiru Pati Nath Verma told police that he had been in the illegal trade of weapons for the past four years and used to come from Gorakhpur to purchase kattas and pistols from Babloo. After purchasing kattas from Pratapgarh, he used to sell them at higher prices in Gorakhpur.
He also confessed that he had given Rs 75,000 advance to Babloo about three months back and had demanded kattas and 100 live cartridges from him.
Manufacturers from Munger in Bihar, who was arrested by the joint team of ATS and Pratapgarh police told police that they were invited by Babloo for shaping kattas and pistols and all expenses of boarding, travelling and other expenses were paid for by Babloo.
Agents, who purchased illegal weapons from Babloo, used to sell them at higher prices in other states and districts. As the Munger made illegal weapons are high in demand among lawbreakers, Babloo found an easy way to invite katta manufactures from Bihar offering them higher prices and selling them to gangs through the agents.