Interstate gunrunning racket leader nabbed

A suspected leader of an interstate gunrunning racket was arrested from West Bengal's Malda district on Monday, police said.

The accused has been identified as Safiqul Sheikh alias Rafiqul alias Akil, 32, a resident of Malda, the police said.

In August, acting on a tip-off, the police had arrested a person named Azimuddin and recovered many illegal arms and ammunition, an officer said.

During interrogation, Azimuddin disclosed that he, along with his associate Sheikh, had come to Delhi to deliver a consignment to a person in Dhirpur area, the police said.

On Monday, information was received that at around 7 am, Sheikh would come to a railway station in Malda for a deal with one of his contacts, said Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (special cell).

Police laid a trap near the location. Sheikh tried to flee, but after a chase, he was arrested, Yadav said.

Sheikh disclosed that he had been involved in this business from past four-five years. He used to purchase arms from a person in Munger, Bihar, and later supply those to his contacts in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana with the help of his carriers, Yadav added.