What New Developments Have Emerged in the Bihar Arms Smuggling Case?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Significant seizures of weapons and cash in Bihar arms smuggling case.
- Sandeep Kumar Sinha's role as a crucial player in the trafficking network.
- The case escalated from initial police findings to NIA involvement.
- Continuing arrests indicate an expanding investigation.
- The trafficking network allegedly spans multiple states.
New Delhi, Oct 9 (NationPress) In a significant development in the ongoing 2024 Bihar arms smuggling case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has intensified its investigation by conducting thorough searches at the home of an accused individual, Sandeep Kumar Sinha. During these raids, a variety of weapons, including live cartridges and firearms, were discovered, along with a substantial amount of cash and a collection of incriminating materials.
Sandeep Kumar Sinha, also known as Chhotu Lala, is a central figure in this arms smuggling operation, having been implicated in facilitating the illegal transfer of an AK-47 rifle into Bihar.
The findings from his residence in Vaishali district included a 9 mm pistol, 18 live cartridges of 9 mm, two pistol magazines, one double-barrel 12-bore gun, 35 live cartridges of 12-bore ammunition, and cash amounting to Rs 4.21 lakh.
Sandeep Sinha is closely linked to the main accused, Vikash Kumar, and plays an active role in the arms trafficking network implicated in this case.
It is alleged that the duo smuggled the weapons from Nagaland into Bihar, intending to use the proceeds from the sales for land investments.
The Bihar Police initially registered this case after recovering an AK-47 rifle and live ammunition.
In August 2024, the NIA took over the investigation.
Throughout the inquiry, four additional individuals were identified and arrested: Vikash Kumar, Satyam Kumar, Devmani Rai (alias Anish), and Md. Ahmad Ansari. Recently, another suspect, Manzoor Khan, was apprehended and is currently detained in Patna’s Beur Jail.
Sinha's residence had previously been raided in December of last year; however, he was not present at the time.
The investigation commenced in May 2024 when the Muzaffarpur Railway Police arrested two cousins found in possession of an AK-47 rifle. Early findings indicated that Sandeep Sinha was instrumental in managing property transactions related to the arms trade.
Vikash Kumar had purchased the rifle from Ahmad Ansari, an arms dealer from Gopalganj, who was detained in Dimapur, Nagaland on May 10 of the previous year.