my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun, 14 Apr: Uttarakhand Special Task Force (STF) has busted an illegal arms trafficking network operating along the Uttar Pradesh–Uttarakhand border and has arrested one accused. Several illegal weapons have also been recovered from the accused in a significant operation carried out under Operation Prahar. The operation, conducted late last evening, in the Pulbhatta police station area, led to the seizure of six country-made pistols and one rifle from the possession of the accused.
According to STF SSP Ajai Singh, the STF had received specific inputs regarding illegal arms smuggling along the interstate border. Acting on the intelligence, an STF team, in coordination with the Pulbhatta police, laid a trap and intercepted the accused, identified as Mahesh Gangwar, while he was transporting illegal weapons in a WagonR car.
Ajai Singh shared that the accused is a resident of Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh and was currently residing in Kichha in Udham Singh Nagar district. The arrest is being seen as a major breakthrough in dismantling an active illegal arms network operating across UP and Uttarakhand. Officials said that in view of rising incidents of firing in the state, the action assumes particular significance. The STF is now interrogating the accused to gather further details about the network and its linkages.
During the operation, six country-made pistols of .315 bore, one 12 bore rifle and two empty cartridges of .32 bore were recovered from the accused. The WagonR car used in the smuggling activity has also been seized. Officials stated that so far this year, the STF has recovered 21 illegal weapons and 35 cartridges, and has arrested eight arms traffickers, all of whom have been sent to jail.
The operation forms part of Operation Prahar, a statewide drive launched on the directions of DGP Deepam Seth following instructions from the Chief Minister to crack down on organised crime and illegal arms networks. Under the campaign, STF units have been directed to intensify action against active gangs and curb the proliferation of illegal weapons in the state.
Meanwhile, the police and STF have launched a detailed probe into the criminal background of the accused. Mahesh Gangwar, a resident of Amkhera village under Bahedi police station in Bareilly, had reportedly been living for a long time in a rented accommodation in Uttaranchal Colony in Kichha. Authorities are examining his antecedents and possible involvement in other offences, even as questions are being raised regarding the effectiveness of tenant verification mechanisms.
STF in-charge MP Singh said that all aspects of the case are being thoroughly investigated. Preliminary information suggests that the accused was previously employed in a company in Rudrapur but had lost his job a few months ago. The police are continuing efforts to trace his criminal history and identify other members of the arms trafficking network.
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