12 members of interstate illegal arms trafficking gang held in UP's Aligarh

Twelve members of an interstate gang allegedly involved in trafficking illicit country-made firearms were arrested from the ruins of an old fort on the outskirts of Aligarh under the area, police said on Thursday. Senior Superintendent of Police said the accused had criminal records and had developed a network for supplying illegal firearms to customers across various parts of Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states.

Twelve members of an interstate gang allegedly involved in trafficking illicit country-made firearms were arrested from the ruins of an old fort on the outskirts of Aligarh under the area, police said on Thursday. Senior Superintendent of Police said the accused had criminal records and had developed a network for supplying illegal firearms to customers across various parts of Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states. Police recovered 10 country-made firearms of different calibres along with a large quantity of cartridges from their possession. The SSP said the gang was traced during a routine investigation into a video clip of an alleged arms deal circulating on social media. Acting on a tip-off, police raided the location when the gang members were allegedly planning a major operation. According to police sources, the investigation is also linked to a recent shootout incident in which two groups allegedly associated with a political party clashed, and country-made firearms were used. Police suspect the gang supplied weapons to one of the groups involved in the violence. Police said the arrested accused were not manufacturers but traders dealing in sophisticated country-made firearms. Investigators have also received inputs about two suspected manufacturing hubs, one located in Uttar Pradesh and another in a neighbouring state, officials added.