Commissionerate Police busts major crime syndicate; 6 criminals nabbed, 6 firearms seized

The Commissionerate Police on Monday claimed to have busted a major crime syndicate involved in the illegal firearms supply and other heinous crimes. Six criminals have been arrested and six firearms and several rounds of live ammunition have been seized from their possession.

The accused have been identified as Rashmi Ranjan Swain, Utkal Kesari Khuntia, Krushna Chandra Jena, Chiranjibi Jena, Mohammad Samser and Sk Ajaruddin.

While addressing a presser in Bhubaneswar, Twin City Police Commissioner Sanjeeb Panda today informed that the kingpin of the crime syndicate is Rashmi Ranjan Swain and several cases are pending against him. Utkal Keshari Khuntia and Md Samser are not only involved in criminal activities in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, but they were also involved in heinous crimes in Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur.

“The gang was operating in Freelancing format. They used to send people to extort money and they have also supplied firearms to various criminal gangs. The criminals used the firearms procured from Bihar in illegal sand quarrying business, cattle trading, illegal mining and other vandalism,” said Panda.

The kingpin of the racket, Swain used to procure firearms from Bihar. He was controlling the crime syndicate and was involved in extortion and crime We will bring them on remand to extract more information in this regard, said Panda.