Bhubaneswar, Sep 27 (IANS) The Commissionerate Police has arrested a dreaded criminal engaged in illegal trade of firearms in various districts of the state and also seized ten semi-automatic pistols from his possession, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Commissioner of Police S. Dev Datta Singh said on Saturday.

Speaking to the media persons here, the Police Commissioner said: “The ongoing crackdown on illegal firearms, during the seizure of eight semi-automatic weapons around ten days ago, we had then that this crackdown will follow up. In that context, we today seized ten more semi-automatic weapons and arrested the accused gun runner who was trying to sell the weapons.”

Singh further stated that these firearms were supposed to be used in the state capital and in some other surrounding districts. He claimed that police will get further success in reining in criminal activities with such crackdowns on illegal trade of illegal firearms.

The accused was identified as Shaikh Nadim, 31, of Itatikiri village under Krushna Nandapur police station of Jagatsinghpur district.

The cops, apart from the seizure of the semi-automatic pistols, also recovered 18 rounds of live ammunition, ten magazines and one mobile phone and a motorcycle.

Police sources revealed that acting on a tip-off, the Special Crime Unit of Commissionerate Police successfully identified and tracked the suspect Shaikh Nadim who was attempting to sell sophisticated weapons to local dealers.

“He had been under surveillance for the past one month. Acting on specific input on September 27, a team of CSU led by Dy. CP Anup Kanungo apprehended him near Dhauli Junction at around 5 a.m. while he was coming to Bhubaneswar from Puri on his motorcycle,” informed police sources.

As per reports, the accused Nadim was involved in several criminal cases registered in different districts of the state.

In April 2019, the accused Nadim was reportedly arrested by the Kendrapara Police following an encounter.

It is pertinent here to mention that the Commissionerate police have arrested three more gunrunners including one from Jharkhand and seized eight Semi-automatic pistols, 34 rounds of live ammunition and ten magazines.

–IANS

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