Carbine, semi-automatic pistols seized in major arms trafficking bust in Bhubaneswar; 2 arrested

The Commissionerate Police’s Special Crime Unit on Saturday arrested two suspected members of an illegal arms trafficking network and seized a substantial cache of weapons, including a carbine and more than ten semi-automatic pistols. Officers also recovered ammunition, a vehicle and several mobile phones. The two accused are residents of Angul and Dhenkanal districts.

The arrests come amid a rise in firearm-related incidents across Odisha in recent months, prompting intensified surveillance and targeted operations by law enforcement.

Questions Over Carbine Origin, Wider Network

The seizure of a carbine, a weapon typically used by police, armed forces, security personnel and occasionally Maoist groups, has raised serious questions about how such an arm entered criminal circulation. Investigators are also examining the customer base in Odisha and the identity of key operators behind procurement and distribution, especially since such weapons are usually manufactured only against authorised orders.

Police sources said the arrested duo are suspected to be middlemen within a larger interstate supply chain, with the weapons reportedly sourced from manufacturers in Bihar.

11 Firearms Seized in Latest Operation

Addressing a press briefing, Commissioner S. Dev Datta Singh said the force has been systematically targeting inter-district and interstate gun-running gangs.

“Over the last few months, the Commissionerate Police has intensified its investigation, targeting inter-district and inter-state gangs to break the supply chain. We have achieved considerable success in our crackdown, during which these illegal firearms were seized,” Singh said.

“A total of 11 firearms were recovered today, two 9 mm pistols, eight 7.65 mm pistols and one carbine. A vehicle and 12 mm live ammunition were also seized. In the last two months, we have seized 23 such weapons,” he added.

He further stated that the accused, Sumant Nayak, who has six cases against him, and Soubhagya Nayak, who has four, were intercepted on the National Highway while travelling toward Berhampur. The carbine, he clarified, was not intended for distribution within Odisha.

Total Seizures Reach 33 Weapons

With Saturday’s operation, the number of weapons seized in recent months has risen to 33, marking a significant breakthrough in the police’s efforts to dismantle illegal arms networks operating across the state.