Ranchi Police Shut Down Major Inter-State Arms Trafficking Network, Three Arrested
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Ranchi, April 15 (NationPress) The Ranchi police have successfully dismantled a significant inter-state illegal arms trafficking operation with connections to Bihar, apprehending three primary suspects, as reported on Wednesday.
Investigations by the police indicated that the gang procured firearms from Bihar and distributed them throughout various regions of Jharkhand. The detained individuals were identified as Vishal Singh, a resident of Mandar, along with Abhishek Sharma and Karan Gop, both hailing from the Chanho locality in Ranchi.
Superintendent of Police, Rural, Praveen Pushkar, stated that the first significant lead was obtained on the evening of April 13 during a routine vehicle inspection within the jurisdiction of the McCluskieganj police station.
A vehicle was flagged down for being suspicious, and subsequent searches yielded pistols and cartridges from two young men who were inside the vehicle.
Upon questioning, the two revealed that the firearms were supplied by Vishal Singh, a resident of Karge village in Mandar. Following this information, the police conducted a raid at his home and detained him.
Further investigations revealed that Singh had converted his residence into a storage site for illegal weapons.
SP Pushkar elaborated that Sharma was responsible for sourcing consignments, reportedly procuring arms from Bihar and retailing them locally at inflated prices. Police records indicate that Sharma has previous charges against him under the Arms Act.
In a follow-up operation, police surrounded the Hatma forest area in Mandar, leading to the arrest of Sharma and his accomplice Gop, effectively disrupting the core operation.
During this operation, authorities confiscated three country-made pistols, ten live cartridges, four magazines, and two mobile devices from the suspects.
Officials noted that the gang began on a small scale but gradually expanded its operations across multiple regions within the state. Based on the intelligence gathered from the arrested individuals, law enforcement has identified additional people associated with the trafficking ring.
Police confirmed that raids are ongoing at several suspected hideouts, with further arrests anticipated as the investigation continues.