Puri: Puri District Police Friday seized six firearms and arrested six members of a syndicate dealing in illegal arms smuggling, an officer said.
A special team was formed under the supervision of Puri SP Vinit Agarwal which carried out the operation based on a specific tip-off about the illegal smuggling activities.
“The team was tasked with tracking down the arms suppliers, and after months of surveillance and reconnaissance, they identified a key supply network led by the notorious anti-social and arms dealer, Denga Muna @ Ramesh Parida,” an official statement of Puri Police said.
“The special drive resulted in the arrest of six accused persons, including members of the organized crime syndicate, and the seizure of six illegal firearms and 20 live ammunition from an old building at urban haat,” the officer said.
Agarwal said investigation is underway to identify the full network of backward and forward linkages related to the illegal arms smuggling operation in the district.
He said under the new provisions in criminal laws, organised crime is a recent addition, and therefore, the accused are being booked under Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (Organized Crime), the Arms Act, and other relevant sections.
The seizures included six country-made pistols with magazines, 20 ammunition, three mobile handsets and cash of Rs 2,100.
