In a significant crackdown, the Rourkela police have successfully busted a major interstate arms and ammunition racket. The operation, conducted on Tuesday, led to the arrest of the alleged kingpin and the seizure of a substantial cache of illegal weapons and documents.
Major Raid Based on Intelligence Inputs
Acting on specific intelligence, the police carried out a targeted raid in Rourkela. The operation resulted in the arrest of the main accused, identified as Ratan Kumar Shaw (58), a resident of Basanti Colony. Additionally, two brothers, Ramandeep Singh, were detained for questioning from Civil Township. Their documents are currently under verification by the authorities.
Modus Operandi and Interstate Links
The racket had a sophisticated and illegal operation. They allegedly procured arms licences from other states by forging official documents. The accused promised to provide all-India arms licences along with weapons for sums ranging between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh per licence.
Initial investigations have revealed that the network was active in multiple locations, including Rourkela, Kolkata, and Nagaland. Exploating this interstate reach, the racket provided Nagaland arms licences to approximately eight individuals in Rourkela. A critical illegality was that after obtaining these licences, the individuals kept arms without informing the local police, which is a violation of the law.
Weapons and Evidence Seized
The police recovered a significant haul from the accused, which included:
- A .32 NP bore pistol (Webley & Scott)
- 25 live rounds of ammunition
- A mobile phone belonging to Ratan Kumar Shaw containing crucial digital evidence and documents
- Arms licences issued by the ADM, Rourkela
- Arms licences issued from Nagaland
- An NP FG 25074 revolver with five live ammunition
- An NP FG 25074 – 32 mark K-III revolver with five live ammunition
Police Briefing and Ongoing Probe
Addressing the media at the district police office on Tuesday, senior officials DIG of Police, Western Range, Rourkela, Brijesh Kumar Rai, and Rourkela SP Nitesh Wadhwani detailed the raid and the racket's operations. They emphasized that the investigation is ongoing to uncover the full extent of the network and identify all individuals involved in obtaining these illegal licences.
This bust highlights a serious issue of forged documents enabling the illegal possession of firearms across state lines, prompting a deeper probe into licensing procedures.
