New Delhi, Jun 22 (IANS): An inter-state gang involved in supplying ammunition to criminals in the city, western Uttar Pradesh, and other nearby regions has been busted with the arrest of two of its members by the Special Cell on Friday, the Delhi Police said.

It is suspected that the accused had already supplied more than 2,500 live cartridges to the criminals in the last eight months, the police said.

Police have also recovered 550 live cartridges from the possession of the duo.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, Pramod Singh Kushwaha said that the accused, identified as Akhilesh Kumar, 40, and Kunwar Pal, 29, used to sell these cartridges to the criminals at a price ranging from Rs 450 to Rs 800 per cartridge.

The arrest came after the Special Cell received a tip-off regarding the duo visiting Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital in Kalyanpuri area of east Delhi.

"Acting on the tip-off, a trap was laid and the duo was apprehended. During search of the bags they were carrying, 375 cartridges of 7.65 mm bore and 175 cartridges of 0.315 bore were recovered," Kushwaha said.

He said that Akhilesh Kumar revealed, during his interrogation, that in mid-2018, his associate Kunwar Pal introduced him to his relative Dhirender who offered him to pay Rs 3,000-to Rs 5,000 per trip for trafficking illicit ammunition in the NCR and western UP.

Police are now looking to trace the further linkages of the gang.