Bihar STF seizes 19,000 rounds of ammo in Bhojpur, 3 smugglers held
Synopsis
Over 19,000 rounds of 7.65 mm ammunition — along with a loaded pistol — were intercepted in Bhojpur, Bihar, after a joint Bihar Police-STF team stopped a Tata Safari SUV near Manbhawan Mor. The three arrested men allegedly confessed to the smuggling, with the consignment reportedly sourced from western Uttar Pradesh and bound for distribution across North Bihar.
Key Takeaways
Bihar Police and STF seized over 19,000 rounds of 7.65 mm calibre ammunition and a loaded pistol in Bhojpur district on 2 November 2026 .
Three accused — Saras Kumar , Laltu Kumar (both from Muzaffarpur ) and Chandan Tiwari (from Siwan ) — were arrested after their Tata Safari SUV was intercepted near Manbhawan Mor .
The ammunition was reportedly sourced from western Uttar Pradesh and was intended for distribution across North Bihar , particularly Muzaffarpur .
The suspects allegedly avoided carrying mobile phones or GPS devices to evade detection.
Senior STF official Anjani Singh arrived from Patna to interrogate the accused and map the supply chain network.
A joint team of the Bihar Police and the Special Task Force (STF) seized over 19,000 rounds of illegal ammunition and arrested three alleged smugglers in Bhojpur district on Monday, 2 November 2026, in one of the largest single-haul ammunition busts in the region in recent memory. The operation was carried out near Manbhawan Mor under the jurisdiction of Koilwar police station.
How the Operation Unfolded
Acting on specific intelligence that a group of smugglers was transporting a large consignment of illegal ammunition into Bihar, police and STF personnel launched covert surveillance. The suspects reportedly halted overnight in Varanasi; once information confirmed that their vehicle had crossed into Bihar on Monday morning, a joint team was deployed at a strategic interception point.
When the suspects' Tata Safari SUV reached Manbhawan Mor, the team moved to stop it. The occupants allegedly attempted to flee, triggering a collision involving a Tata Harrier approaching from behind and a Tata Nexon coming from the opposite direction — both vehicles sustained frontal damage. Officers subsequently overpowered and arrested all three men.
What Was Recovered
A search of the SUV led to the recovery of over 19,000 rounds of 7.65 mm calibre ammunition and a loaded pistol. According to police, the suspects had taken deliberate precautions to evade detection — they were reportedly not carrying mobile phones, GPS devices, or any other electronic gadgets at the time of arrest.
Who Was Arrested
The three accused have been identified as Saras Kumar and Laltu Kumar, both from Muzaffarpur district, and Chandan Tiwari from Siwan district. During questioning, all three allegedly admitted to their involvement in the ammunition smuggling operation.
The Network Under Investigation
Preliminary investigations suggest the ammunition was sourced from western Uttar Pradesh and was intended for distribution across multiple parts of North Bihar, particularly Muzaffarpur. Senior STF official Anjani Singh travelled from Patna to Koilwar to personally interrogate the accused and map the broader network.
Investigators are now focused on three key questions: how the consignment was transported across state lines, who facilitated the movement, and who the intended buyers in North Bihar were. Efforts are underway to identify suppliers, intermediaries, and recipients in the illegal ammunition supply chain. This comes amid ongoing concerns about the flow of illegal arms from Uttar Pradesh into Bihar, a corridor that law enforcement agencies have flagged repeatedly in recent years.
Point of View
000 rounds in a single vehicle — points to a well-organised supply chain, not opportunistic trafficking. The UP-to-Bihar ammunition corridor has been a persistent law-enforcement concern, yet busts of this magnitude remain episodic rather than indicative of systematic dismantling of the network. The fact that the accused carried no electronic devices suggests operational sophistication and prior knowledge of police surveillance methods. The real test of this operation lies not in the arrest count but in whether investigators can follow the chain upward to suppliers and downward to intended buyers — the two ends that, if left intact, will simply reload through different couriers.
NationPress
3 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How much ammunition was seized in the Bhojpur operation?
Over 19,000 rounds of 7.65 mm calibre ammunition and a loaded pistol were recovered from a Tata Safari SUV intercepted near Manbhawan Mor in Bhojpur district on 2 November 2026.
Who were the three smugglers arrested by Bihar Police and STF?
The three accused are Saras Kumar and Laltu Kumar, both from Muzaffarpur district, and Chandan Tiwari from Siwan district. All three allegedly admitted to their involvement in ammunition smuggling during initial questioning.
Where did the seized ammunition come from?
According to preliminary investigations, the ammunition was sourced from western Uttar Pradesh and was intended for distribution across North Bihar, particularly Muzaffarpur.
How did police manage to intercept the vehicle?
Police received prior intelligence about the smugglers' movement. After tracking the suspects through Varanasi, a joint Bihar Police-STF team deployed at Manbhawan Mor stopped the vehicle on Monday morning as it entered Bihar.
What is the STF investigating now?
The STF and Bihar Police are working to identify the full smuggling network, including suppliers in western Uttar Pradesh, intermediaries who facilitated the cross-state movement, and the intended buyers in North Bihar. Senior STF official Anjani Singh is personally overseeing the interrogation.
