Kolkata, Oct 12 — West Bengal Police said on Monday that the Special Task Force (STF) has busted a major inter-state arms trafficking network following sustained operations during the last 17days.
“In a sustained operation in the last 17 days, STF, West Bengal, has uncovered an organised inter-state illegal arms trafficking network operating across Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, with key arrests made in Munger, Bihar, and Hazaribagh, Jharkhand,” a statement issued by the state police on Monday read.
The operation, according to the statement, started on September 25 this year with the arrest of Md. Farhan alias Musan from Durgapur. The STF sleuths recovered two pistols, two magazines and 20 live rounds of cartridges from his possession.
Further investigation was conducted on the supply chain of illegal arms, including financial trails, which led to prolonged operations for 17 days, leading to the busting of an inter-state arms trafficking network involving West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand, with the STF sleuths arresting the kingpins behind the racket.
According to the statement issued by the state police, the STF sleuths arrested a total of four persons believed to be kingpins in the said rackets.
These arrests are Md Farhan of Jamui, Bihar, on September 25, Md. Shahnawaz Alam alias Guddu from Munger, also in Bihar, on September 29, Ganesh Rana from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand on October 4 and Pawan Kumar Singh again from Jamui in Bihar on October 3.
“Major seizures in include two pistols and 20 rounds of ammunition on September 25, a sum of Rs 3.90 lakh, suspected to be proceeds of illegal arms sales and one 9 mm pistol, one magazine and four live rounds of cartridges. Further investigation is underway to identify remaining associates and dismantle the entire racket,” the statement read.
The police suspect that the arrested people got the money by selling illegal weapons.
The STFs of both West Bengal Police and the Kolkata Police have started a regular crackdown against illegal arms smuggling rackets in the state.
The last operation, according to the insiders, was the most prolonged one, lasting for 17 days.