New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) Pune Police carried out a major crackdown on illegal weapons in the city, arresting three habitual offenders and recovering a country-made pistol, a live cartridge, and a luxury BMW car during a targeted anti-extortion and crime prevention operation.

The total value of the seized property is estimated at around Rs 7,40,500, officials said.

The action was conducted under a special drive launched by the Pune Police Commissionerate between April 18 and April 24, 2026, aimed at identifying and taking strict action against individuals involved in illegal arms possession. Acting on specific Intelligence inputs, the Anti-Extortion Squad-02 (Khandani Virodhi Pathak-02) intensified surveillance in the Parimandal-6 jurisdiction.

According to police officials, during routine patrolling on April 23, a team led by Inspector Gaurav Dev received confidential information that two known offenders, Omkar Ghule and Narayan Puri, were travelling in a white BMW car in the Undri area and were in possession of an illegal firearm.

Following the tip-off, senior officers immediately directed the team to lay a trap. Police intercepted the vehicle near Jai Raj Washing Centre on the Undri Chowk–Mohammadwadi Road. The vehicle, bearing registration number MH12 FU 9189, was stopped and thoroughly searched.

During the operation, three accused persons were found inside the car—Omkar Balasaheb Ghule (27), Narayan Vishwanath Puri (27), and Swapnil Nandkumar Hiremeth (25). A country-made pistol was recovered from Omkar Ghule, while a live cartridge was seized from Narayan Puri. The BMW car used by the accused was also confiscated on the spot.

Police officials confirmed that all three accused have prior criminal records and have been involved in multiple serious offences in the past, raising concerns about their continued involvement in illegal activities.

A case has been registered at Kalepadal Police Station, and further investigation is currently underway to determine the source of the weapon and possible links to other criminal networks.

The entire operation was conducted under the guidance of Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, Joint Commissioner Ranjan Kumar Sharma, and Additional Commissioner Pankaj Deshmukh, who have intensified efforts to curb organised and arms-related crime in Pune city.

–IANS

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