Nagpur: A four-member gang involved in the smuggling and sale of weapons was apprehended by the Unit 4 team of the Crime Branch in a recent operation. The police seized four pistols and nine cartridges from the gang’s possession upon their arrest.
The accused have been identified as Sikandar alias Sheku Saifuddin Khan (38) from Mecosabagh, Ankit Sunil Valmiki (23) from Bejanbagh, Sunny Ganesh Tomskar (22) from Borkar Nagar at Bara Signal, and Aditya Hemraj Padole (20) both from Kamana Nagar.
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Monday 20 Jan. 2025
Two of their associates, Mukul Samad from Belabagh Chowk, Jabalpur, and Aman Khorde from Betul, are currently evading arrest.
According to the police, Sikandar and Ankit already had cases registered against them under the Arms Act. Ankit, hailing from Madhya Pradesh, is known to be related to Mukul, who is suspected to be involved in smuggling weapons along with Aman, while Ankit acts as a conduit for distributing these weapons to various criminals in the city.
The police received a tip-off indicating Sikandar’s request for two weapons from Ankit, who then facilitated the acquisition through Mukul and Aman. A planned arms deal was intercepted by the Unit 4 team of the Crime Branch late on Saturday night, leading to the arrest of the four accused near Mecosabagh.
Upon searching the accused, two pistols were seized, and subsequent investigation led to the recovery of two more pistols during a raid on their residences. The total value of confiscated items, including pistols, cartridges, vehicles, and mobile phones, amounts to Rs 13.39 lakh.
The accused were handed over to the Jaripatka police for further investigation and presented before the court on Sunday. The court granted a five-day police custody for interrogation.
The police anticipate that capturing Mukul and Aman could unveil more weapons and connections to criminal activities.
This successful operation was executed under the guidance of DCP Detection Nimit Goyal, with the diligent efforts of PSI Avinash Jaibhaye, along with the staff comprising Roshan Tiwari, Sunil Thawkar, Atul Chate, Deva Thombre, Chetan Patil, Satyendra Yadav, and Bante.
