Ahmedabad, Sep 25 (IANS): Four suspects involved in multiple cases of loot and theft were arrested by the Crime Branch of Ahmedabad Police.

The operation led to the recovery of eight illegal pistols, 39 cartridges, and assets valued at Rs 2.33 lakh.

The arrests were made following a raid conducted by the Ahmedabad Rural Special Operations Group (SOG).

The accused, identified as Kishore Kumar alias K.K. Panchal (31), Vismakumar Padhiyar (32), Jagdish Lal alias J.K. Lohar (32), and Amin Rafikbhai Memon (31), were found in possession of firearms and ammunition without any legal authorisation. The raid also resulted in the seizure of mobile phones and other critical evidence.

Investigations revealed that the suspects were connected to an illegal arms network. The key supplier, identified as Mansingh Sikhligar, is still at large, and efforts are underway to apprehend him. The arrested individuals have a long history of criminal involvement, including cases of robbery, theft, and illegal firearm possession. Their activities span Gujarat and Rajasthan, making them notorious figures in the region.

Police have filed three separate cases under the Arms Act and the Gujarat Police Act, and further investigations are ongoing to uncover the full extent of the illegal firearms network.

In July 2024, Gujarat Police expressed concern over the smuggling of illegal firearms from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh. Firearms are trafficked from Madhya Pradesh’s districts like Barwani, Khargone, Sangrur, and Bhind to gunrunners in Gujarat. Barrels used to manufacture these illegal 7.62 mm and 7.65 mm pistols in MP are supplied from Surat.

On April 4, 2024, the Madhya Pradesh’s Anti-Terrorism Squad raided one individual Sarnam Singh's home in the Prabhunagar area of Surat, uncovering 360 barrels made from the steering shafts of four-wheeler vehicles.

During interrogation, Singh admitted to supplying raw materials and barrels for pistol manufacturing in MP. The raid followed a significant crackdown on illegal firearm production in the Khargone district of MP.

According to Gujarat ATS, in the past few years, they have seized over 150 semi-automatic country-made pistols and arrested around 60 accused individuals involved in the illegal arms trade. This growing smuggling network has raised concerns about the spread of illicit weapons in the region.