PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun/Rudrapur
The Special Task Force (STF) along with Pulbhatta police arrested an interstate arms smuggler from the Pulbhatta area in Udham Singh Nagar district on Monday. The accused has been identified as Mahesh Gangwar, a resident of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, who was currently living in Kichha, Uttarakhand. So far this year, the STF has arrested eight arms smugglers and recovered 21 illegal weapons and 35 cartridges.
According to the police officials, the accused had been involved in illegal weapon supply across Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh for a long time.
During the operation, the police recovered a large quantity of illegal weapons from the accused. These include six country-made pistols of .315 bore, one 12 bore rifle, two empty cartridges of .32 bore and a vehicle used for transportation. Police said that the weapons had been manufactured in illegal arms factories in Uttar Pradesh and were being brought to Uttarakhand for supply.
Speaking of the matter, the senior superintendent of police (STF) Ajai Singh said that the STF had received specific information about illegal arms smuggling near the Uttar Pradesh–Uttarakhand border. Acting on this input, a special team was formed and a trap was laid with the help of Pulbhatta police. The accused was caught while he was carrying the weapons in his car. This action has helped in breaking a major illegal arms network operating between the two states, Singh said.
Police officials further said that strict action is being taken under ‘Operation Prahar’: a campaign against criminals and illegal activities.
