Maha polls: Thane police seize 8 firearms from trio

City police have seized a total of eight firearms from three persons taking the total number of weapons confiscated in the district so far to 25 as part of their drive in run-up to October 15 Assembly elections.
"The seizure also included 26 cartridges," DCP (Crime) Parag Manere told reporters here today.
He said that the accused hailed from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Nepal and they were arrested yesterday by the Ulhasnagar unit of Crime Branch following raids on their hideouts.
The trio are booked under various sections of Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.
Manere said that a team of officials seized marijuana weighing 17 kg from two persons from Mumbra-Shil Road in the district last week. The duo were identified as Santosh Suryavanshi and Ashok Kadam, he said.

"Based on the information given by them, the crime branch yesterday arrested one Raju Panchariya from Ahmednagar and seized 7 kg of ganja from his possession," Manere said, adding that offences were already registered under NDPS Act against Suryavanshi and Kadam in Warangal district of Telangana and by Ahmednagar police against Panchariya.

Manere said that police on September 26 seized gutka, whose production, sale and distribution is banned in Maharashtra, worth Rs 4.50 lakh from one Mohammad Siddiqui in Naglabunder area of Thane city.
Replying to a query, Manere said that as many as 2907 firearms out of the total 5266 licenced firearms have so far been surrendered by their holders.

"The police and flying squads of the Election Commission have so far together seized cash worth Rs 69,62,720 besides fake currency with the face value of Rs 2 lakh," Manere added.