Illegal arms racket busted, three arrested

Kolkata (IANS). Kolkata Police has busted a huge illegal arms racket. Police said on Monday that they have arrested the dealer and two of his associates.

Police sources said that the arrested arms dealer has been identified as Akhtar Hussain. Apart from this, the police have also arrested Imtiaz Muhammad and Azhar Ali. At present, the police are tight-lipped on the exact date and time of the arrest. However, it was learned that the accused were arrested from an area under Narendrapur police station in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.

Investigating officials suspect that the accused are linked to a local arms manufacturing unit where weapon parts are assembled and then released into the market for sale through an exclusive network. At present, the police is interrogating the accused to gather more information in this regard.

The police also suspect that the three arrested persons are actually part of a bigger illegal arms racket based in Bihar’s Munger, traditionally known as the illegal arms manufacturing and trading hub.

A police source said, “As per the preliminary information available with our officials, Hussain used to operate from both West Bengal and Jharkhand. His job was to act as a link between the end buyers and the manufacturers, finalize the deals and then arrange for the supply of the consignment.

The police also suspect that the accused played an important role in providing weapons to the miscreants in the recent three-tier panchayat elections.

They also believe that with the arrest of the three, the illegal arms supply network in the state can be neutralized to a great extent.