Major arms-smuggling racket busted across three Indian states, 44,000 cartridges seized
A major arms and ammunition smuggling racket spread across the Indian states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana has been busted. The special task forces (STF) of the three states recently carried out a joint operation, seizing a huge quantity of cartridges and arresting several suspects.
The information was reported by the news outlet Millat Times.
The report said the incident created a stir in political circles after photographs of Chandan Tiwari and his brother Abhishek Tiwari surfaced following their arrest. In several photographs, the two are seen wearing the uniform of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In another photograph, they are seen with a local legislator from Muzaffarpur.
Abhishek Tiwari had earlier served time in prison in an arms-smuggling case. Chandan Tiwari was recently arrested by the STF. However, no evidence has been found in the investigation of any direct involvement of the RSS in this racket. Those concerned said that no institutional link can be confirmed merely from photographs of the men in uniform.
According to Patna police, the Bihar STF recovered more than 19,000 cartridges after a search in the Ara area of Bihar. Three people, including Chandan Tiwari, were arrested in that incident.
After their interrogation, it emerged that the racket's roots spread to Badaun district in Uttar Pradesh. Later, operations in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana recovered several thousand more cartridges.
In a similar operation, the Haryana STF searched two vehicles near the Rohad toll plaza in Jhajjar and seized a total of 25,000 bullets and eight mobile phones. Five people from Badaun district - Munna Khan, Asim Rais, Sablu Khan, Arbaz Ali and Zeenat - were arrested in that incident.
Police said Munna Khan, the owner of 'Badaun Gun House', had collected these cartridges from Vijay Goel, the owner of 'Mehak Gun House' in the Sirsa area.
The biggest question in the investigation has arisen over the source of the cartridges. The seized cartridges were made in a government ordnance factory. Investigators are examining how cartridges made in a government factory reached this illegal network.
Earlier, the name of a Bihar arms shop called 'Jalan Shop' had surfaced in a case of supplying 100 pistols using fake licences. Investigators are also examining whether there is any link between that case and this illegal cartridge seizure.
India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) has already joined the probe to identify the main source of the supply and the conspirators. The investigation has been intensified to find out who the final buyers of this huge quantity of ammunition were.
