International arms syndicate busted; nine arrested, 23 firearms seized

The Delhi Police has busted an interstate arms trafficking syndicate with alleged international linkages and arrested nine people, an official said on Wednesday. Police seized 23 sophisticated firearms and 92 live cartridges, the official said. He said the racket, allegedly operated by fugitive criminal Shahbaz Ansari, a parole jumper in a National Investigation Agency case, and his uncle Rehan Ansari, was active across North India and sourced weapons from across the border. Police conducted a series of coordinated operations across Delhi and Uttar Pradesh over the past fortnight, resulting in arrests and seizures. According to police, the syndicate procured foreign-made weapons, allegedly routed into India via the Nepal border, and supplied them to criminal networks in Delhi-NCR and Uttar Pradesh. ''The network had a well-structured hierarchy and used encrypted communication platforms to evade detection,'' a senior police officer said. The crackdown began on April 14 with the arrest of Fardeen (22) from Usmanpur, from whom police recovered a semi-automatic pistol and cartridges. Fardeen's interrogation led to multiple arrests, including Waseek, Waseem Malik, Aman alias Abhishek, Aadil, Mohammad Ahmad, Rahil, Imran and Vishal, police said. During the operation, police recovered 18 semi-automatic pistols, including foreign-made weapons, two country-made shotguns, three 'desi kattas', 92 live cartridges and six magazines. Police also seized mobile phones, a laptop containing incriminating data and weapon repair tools. Investigations revealed that Shahbaz acted as the main handler, while Rehan, a proclaimed offender, coordinated logistics, finances and communication for the syndicate. The accused played specific roles, including procuring weapons, transporting consignments and distributing them among criminal gangs, police said. Several of the arrested persons have prior criminal records, including involvement in cases of murder, arms trafficking and other serious offences. Police said further investigation is underway to trace the international supply chain, identify additional associates and apprehend the absconding kingpins.

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