Delhi Police bust arms supplier network, 2 accused held
Dec 16, 2024
New Delhi [India], December 16 : The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police has dismantled a major arms supplier network and arrested two individuals, a senior police officer announced on Monday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Crime Sanjay Kumar Sain stated that the network is linked to the notorious Tillu Tajpuria and Chhenu Pahalwan gangs.
According to the police, two accused were apprehended, and 10 firearms along with 15 live cartridges were seized from their possession.
In a statement, DCP Sain explained that on December 11, based on credible intelligence, investigations revealed that Ajay, alias Totla, alias Devgan--a former auto-lifter turned arms supplier--was actively supplying firearms to Vinay Pandit, a known member of the Tillu Tajpuria gang and currently associated with the Chhenu Pahalwan gang.
The breakthrough occurred on the morning of December 12, when Ajay, a resident of Madanpur Khadar, was apprehended near the Delhi-Noida border while riding a motorcycle that had been reported stolen from the Jaitpur area.
During interrogation, Ajay confessed to having a pistol and ammunition at his residence in Sangam Vihar. This led to the immediate recovery of the weapon and three live cartridges, the police officer said.
A case was registered under various sections of the Arms Act and Section 317(2) of the BNS at the Crime Branch police station. The accused was presented before the court and remanded to police custody, the statement added.
Further investigations under police custody led to the arrest of Shamim, a resident of Village Karah Kadilpur in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, who was identified as another arms supplier linked to Ajay. Shamim admitted to directly supplying arms to Ajay, who in turn sold them to Vinay Pandit for use by the Chhenu Pahalwan gang.
Based on Shamim's information, police recovered an additional three pistols and seven country-made firearms (locally known as 'kattas'). His interrogation revealed alarming details about the scale of the arms network, including the fact that the firearms were being custom-made in rural villages to meet specific demands.
The operation has uncovered a deep-rooted nexus between local arms manufacturers, suppliers, and powerful criminal groups, including the Tillu Tajpuria and Chhenu Pahalwan gangs, who have been linked to several violent incidents in the region. Shamim was presented before the court, and a police custody remand has been secured to recover more illegal weapons and identify other accomplices, the statement said.
