Delhi Police's Crime Branch on Tuesday, 28 July arrested two more key operatives — Mehfooz Ali alias Bobby alias Kabutar, 43, and Mohd. Ahmad, 35 — in an ongoing probe into a transnational arms trafficking and terror financing network with suspected links to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The arrests take the total number of accused apprehended in the case to 18, with police having recovered 32 sophisticated foreign-made weapons and 363 live cartridges across the investigation.

Background and Case Registration

The case is registered as FIR No. 49/2026, filed on 14 March 2026 at the Crime Branch Police Station, under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Arms Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). According to investigators, the module is allegedly headed by fugitive gangster Shahbaz Ansari and is accused of smuggling sophisticated foreign-made weapons into India — primarily through Nepal — and supplying them to organised criminal gangs, terrorist elements, and anti-national networks.

The latest arrests were carried out by the Anti-Robbery and Snatching Cell (ARSC) of the Crime Branch, led by Inspectors Man Singh and Sunder Gautam, under the supervision of ACP Sanjay Kumar Nagpal and DCP Chandra Kumar Singh.

Who Is Mehfooz Ali

Mehfooz Ali, a resident of Jafrabad, North-East Delhi, has an alleged criminal record spanning nearly two decades. Police records indicate his alleged involvement in multiple murder cases and gang-rivalry killings. He was first arrested in 2006 in an attempt-to-murder case and reportedly surfaced in a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) case in 2019, after which he remained absconding for an extended period.

Investigators allege that in 2021, Mehfooz facilitated the movement of shooters allegedly linked to the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, and subsequently destroyed electronic evidence by throwing mobile phones and internet dongles used by the shooters into the Yamuna River, according to police. In 2022, he allegedly received a consignment of foreign-made pistols and delivered them to associates of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, making him, according to investigators, a critical link in the illegal firearms supply chain across northern India.

Police allege that Mehfooz was an active member of a syndicate led by Salim Ahmed alias Salim Pistol, in coordination with fugitive gangsters Shahbaz Ansari and Rehan Ansari. Weapon components were allegedly concealed inside specially fabricated welding machines and gearboxes and transported via air cargo to Kathmandu, before being smuggled into India. Even after Salim Pistol allegedly relocated to Dubai in 2023, Mehfooz reportedly continued operating as one of his principal associates in India.

Investigators further allege that Mehfooz, along with his brother Imran and associate Nadeem alias Chacha Fadu, established an illegal firearm manufacturing and assembly unit in Jafrabad, North-East Delhi.

Who Is Mohd. Ahmad

Mohd. Ahmad, a resident of Jaunpur district, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly entered the illegal arms trade in 2013 after coming into contact with alleged arms trafficker Amit Yadav. By 2015, he had reportedly established links with arms traffickers in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and began procuring country-made weapons from Munger, Bihar for supply across Uttar Pradesh.

In 2020, Ahmad allegedly came into contact with Wasim Malik of Delhi, who introduced him to trade in sophisticated foreign-made firearms. Following his release from jail in 2025, he allegedly resumed trafficking and was introduced to Mohd Rahil, described by investigators as a key operative directly connected to Shahbaz Ansari's network.

According to police, during the past year Ahmad procured approximately 15 to 20 foreign-made pistols and 50 to 60 live cartridges through the network and supplied them to criminals operating in Shahganj, Azamgarh and neighbouring areas of Uttar Pradesh, earning a commission of ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 per firearm.

Weapons Recovered in Latest Operation

The latest arrests yielded a significant cache, including a sub-machine gun manufactured in the Czech Republic, three semi-automatic pistols manufactured in Italy and the Czech Republic, and 82 live cartridges. Prior to these arrests, police had already recovered 28 firearms — including one sub-machine gun — and 281 live cartridges from the 16 previously arrested accused.

What Investigators Say Next

The Crime Branch has stated that the investigation is continuing to identify additional members of the network, trace financial transactions, and map the full extent of the alleged transnational operation. According to officials, the proceeds from the illegal arms trade were intended to fund terrorist activities within India — and investigators allege that the module was also building a weapons cache for potential use in indiscriminate firing at crowded public places.