Former SP MLA, 5 others, held for alleged involvement in arms smuggling

A former Samajwadi Party MLA, Rakesh Singh, was arrested today for allegedly being involved in illegal smuggling of foreign-made arms, the Uttar Pradesh Police Special Task Force (STF) claimed.
Based on the information provided by the former lawmaker, five persons, part of an arms smuggling syndicate, were also arrested, the STF claimed. The police is now probing the source of the seized foreign-made weapons, the kind of which are also used by para military forces, officials said.
"Former SP MLA from Chhara constituency in Aligarh, Rakesh Singh, was arrested today in Aligarh with a made in Brazil Taurus .9 mm pistol and on information provided by him five persons were arrested from Lucknow," IG, STF, Amitabh Yash said here.

During interrogation the former MLA accepted his involvement in arms smuggling, Yash said adding that the five others, Ishan Chowdhury, Mohd Anis, Subur Anwar, Wasim Ahmad and Nagendra Pratap Singh, were arrested from the Malhaur locality in Chinhat area here.
The STF recovered foreign weapons including a machine pistol (Skorpian VZ61, made in Czech Republic), 9 mm Glock pistol (Made in Austria), 9 mm Luger pistol (made in Czech Republic), Tom Cat 32 Barreta (made in USA) and a number of magazines and cartridges, he added.
During interrogation, Chowdhury told STF that he had sold the Taurus pistol to the former MLA for Rs 4.5 lakh and added his brother Uwais used to send foreign weapons to the members of the group from Aizwal.

UP DGP, OP Singh announced a reward of Rs fifty thousand for the STF team for busting the gang.

The DGP later told reporters that the STF probe is on about the source of the weapons. Similar weapons were used by para military forces, he added.
"The STF teams are on on the job and the matter is being probed thoroughly," he said.
The UP DGP said the state police was working to ensure security to the people and it had arrested 3,068 criminals including 1,574 carrying rewards while 42 others were killed in encounters recently. During the campaign against criminals, properties worth Rs 197 crores were also seized, he added.

He said necessary instructions were issued for ensuring law and order on Holi.