Bhubaneswar: Commissionerate Police today busted an illicit firearms racket by arresting four dealers. Semi-finished improvised firearms, ammunition and other objectionable items have been seized from their possession.
Though five firearms, 10 rounds of live ammunition have been seized, the cops are now in a fix after it came up during investigation that many sophisticated weapons including carbine are being smuggled into the city.
“There are reports of sophisticated weapons and arms are being smuggled and available in the market. We are working on curbing such illicit trade," Police Commissioner, Satyajit Mohanty said.
As per police sources, the four arms traders were nabbed following a joint operation by the Special squad, Nayapalli and Khandagiri police.
The arrested persons were working as auto driver, labourers and road side vendors in the capital city and were actively involved in the illegal firearms trade. The gang used to sell the arms at a price ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 45,000, informed Bhubaneswar DCP Anup Sahu.
Earlier the Commissionerate police had launched a massive drive against illegal firearms under the operation ‘Black Smoke’ in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. However, the illicit firearms trade is now flourishing in the absence of similar intensive drives in the twin cities.
Senior police officials on the other hand claimed that already a special drive is underway.