Two arrested for running gun racket in Meerut

Two men allegedly running a gun racket were arrested and huge cache of more than 60 sophisticated pistols were recovered from them, police said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Sanjeev (27), a resident of Rohtak in Haryana was held from Shamshan Ghat in Delhi's Haiderpur, where he had come to supply the consignment of illegal weapons to one of his Delhi-based contact. His accomplice Noor Hasan (25) was nabbed from his residence in Meerut, they said.

With their arrest, police claimed to have unearthed an illegal firearms manufacturing factory based in Meerut.

In view of the forthcoming Republic Day celebrations and the Delhi Assembly elections, sleuths of the special cell of Delhi Police had launched a special drive against suppliers of illegal firearms in the national capital and NCR.

Interrogation revealed that Sanjeev has been involved in supplying illegal firearms for more than five years. He used to procure them from one Fakruddin and his son Noor Hasan of Meerut and further supply the same to criminals of Delhi and Haryana, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said.

Ten semi-automatic pistols were recovered from Sanjeev, he said.

On Sunday, Hasan was arrested from his house in Meerut following a raid and 50 more illegal pistols along with raw material and machinery were recovered from there, he added.

During interrogation, Hasan disclosed that he has been indulging in manufacturing of illegal arms for the last 10 years along with his family. He used to procure raw material to prepare illegal arms from his contacts based in Meerut, the DCP said.

Manufacturing firearms has been their family business for the last three generations. He learnt it from his father and has been preparing these weapons for more than 20 years. They supply weapons in bulk, he said.

Both Sanjeev and Hasan have been previously arrested for their criminal backgrounds, police said.