Ahead of Independence Day two suspects arrested with ammunition in Delhi

Ahead of Independence Day, two suspected arms peddlers were arrested with arms and ammunition, including carbines and cartridges, in two separate operations, police said here yesterday. The accused have been identified as Mohammad Azimuddin Sheikh lias Azim, a resident of Malda in West Bengal and Soyyam alias Aas Mohammad, a resident of Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, said Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell). Soyyam was arrested yesterday from Singhola village on GT Karnal road while Azim was arrested earlier this week from northwest Delhi, the police said.

The accused were involved in supplying arms to Delhi-based criminals for the last four-five years. With the Independence Day round the corner, the Special Cell has been keeping a tight vigil on the movement of arms suppliers and those with suspected terror links, said a senior police officer, adding that during their vigil, they found the trail of the accused duo. The Special Cell has launched a drive against supply of illegal firearms in Delhi from other parts of the country.

Concerted efforts have led to busting of several gun running rackets and seizure of huge cache of sophisticated/semi-automatic weapons, the officer said. According to the DCP, the teams of the Special Cell have successfully busted two interstate gun-running rackets with the recovery of large cache of arms and ammunition from the accused.

In one operation, a team arrested Azim on August 6 following a tip-off. Azim along with Akil had come to deliver the huge consignment of illegal firearms to Hazi Kayum in Delhi. A team laid a trap at the vantage points near Tara Chowk, Dheerpur in northwest Delhi here. At about 11.55 am, Azim was found waiting for Kayum. He was carrying two trolley bags. Azim was subsequently overpowered and nabbed. From the trolley bags two automatic sophisticated carbines, 38 pistols and 50 live cartridges concealed in clothes and newspapers were recovered.

Another team of the Special Cell nabbed Soyyam, a key member of arms supplier syndicate of Kairana (UP) from near CNG station in village Singhola near GT Karnal road, added the DCP. Twelve sophisticated .32 bore pistols and 19 magazines were recovered from his bag. During interrogation, it was found that after the police crackdown in Munger, Bihar, the arms manufacturers have shifted their base to West Bengal and weapons are manufactured at different places. The weapons are supplied in Delhi and its neighbouring areas. The DCP said raids are being conducted to nab more associates of the arrested duo.

"The fact that such a huge consignment of arms was recovered before the Independence Day is a matter of concern. The police were alert and arrested the accused," the officer said. The accused used to procure the weapons at Rs 10,000-15,000 and then sell it for Rs 50,000. The carbines were procured at Rs one to 1.5 lakh each, the officer said. Azim revealed that he was working with one Akil of Kaliachak in Malda district of West Bengal.

He used to supply consignment of illegal pistols to Akil's contacts in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana on the directions of Akil. Kayum was supposed to come to the spot to receive the delivery of consignment of illegal arms and ammunition. Azim revealed that he had been involved in the illegal arms supplying for last five years. In order to hoodwink the security agencies, Azim and his associated had de-boarded the train before it reached Delhi, said the officer. Soyyam revealed that he used to supply the consignment of illegal pistols across the country at the behest of Sarvar, an arms supplier of his village.

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