THE NETWORK WAS SPREAD ACROSS DUBAI, PAKISTAN, NEPAL, AND INDIA. 12 SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOLS, INCLUDING ZIGANA, BERETTA, AND SLOVAKIAN PISTOLS, RECOVERED. NEPALI CURRENCY AND SIM CARD OF NEPAL, A SPECIALIZED IRON BOX USED FOR TRAFFICKING GUNS, AN I-20 CAR, A HONDA ACTIVA, AND FIVE MOBILE PHONES HAVE ALSO BEEN RECOVERED.
Face2News/New Delhi
In a swift and sleek operation, the South Western Range Special Cell has busted a module involved in cross-border trafficking of arms. This module was operating from Dubai, Pakistan, Nepal, and India. Three persons, namely (1) Md. Ovais @ Shamshad (age 27 years), s/o Md. Haneef r/o Khurja, Bulandshahr, UP, (2) Mohammad Afroz s/o Ramjan Ali (age 25 years) r/o Hazrat Nizamuddin, Delhi and (3) Mohammad Adnan Hussain Ansari (age 26 years) s/o Mohammad Yameen Ansari, r/o Hazrat Nizamuddin, Delhi have been arrested, and 12 semi-automatic high-quality pistols, including Zigana, Beretta, and Slovakian pistols (trafficked from Nepal), have been recovered.
In the recent past, several incidents of heinous crimes were reported in Delhi/NCR, where sophisticated weapons were used by the criminals and gangsters. Tell-tale signs of these incidents and gangs were closely monitored, and it was revealed that the gangsters and criminals are procuring these sophisticated weapons by way of cross-border trafficking through their conduits.
A team of Inspr. Manender Singh, Inspr. Somil Sharma, Inspr. Sunil, and Inspr. Neeraj Kumar was tasked with gathering intelligence and curbing the menace of illegal arm trafficking across the border. Electronic as well as manual surveillance was deployed to gather information about these arms traffickers.
On July 25, 2023, specific information was received that one Mohd. Ovais @ Shamshad of the above nexus would come near Ghata Masjid, Opposite Shanti Van, to deliver a huge consignment of arms to his associates in Delhi.
Accordingly, a raiding team under the supervision of ACsP/SWR Sh. Sanjay Dutt, and Sh. Sunil Kumar, consisting of Insp. Manender Singh, Insp. Neeraj Kumar, SI Vaseek Ahmad, SI Rakesh Tomar, SI Surender Pal, ASI Resham, ASI Vijay Pratap, ASI Udai Ram, HC Sikandar, and Ct. Prashant was constituted under the overall supervision of Sh. Ingit Pratap Singh, DCP/SWR. Thereafter, a trap was laid near Ghata Masjid, Opposite Shanti Van, and at about 2:45 PM, Mohd. Ovais @ Shamsad was apprehended in an i-20 car, and from his possession, 10 semi-automatic pistols, including Zigana and Slovakian pistols, were recovered.
Accordingly, a case under the relevant provisions of Arms Act was lodged at PS Special Cell, and investigation was taken up. During the investigation, his other associates, namely Mohd. Afroz and Mohd. Adnan Hussain Ansari, were also arrested from Hazrat Nizammudin area at his instance. Further, at the instance of accused Mohd. Afroz, one USA-made pistol (a Beretta), Nepali currency, a Nepali SIM card, Nepali recharge vouchers, and a specialized iron box used for trafficking pistols were recovered, and at the instance of accused Mohd. Adnan, one semi-automatic pistol and a Honda Scooty were recovered.
INTERROGATION: Mr. H.G.S. Dhaliwal, IPS, Special Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, said, all elhiAll three accused persons were arrested under the appropriate sections of law and were subjected to intensive interrogation, and it was revealed that they were active members of the international arms trafficking network, which was earlier headed by Shahbaz Ansari, r/o Khurja, Bulandshahr. This network was used by the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang to procure weapons used in the assassination of Siddhu Moosewala.
MODUS OPERANDI: After the arrest of Shahbaz Ansari, Mohd. Ovais, assumed the charge of module head and started trafficking the weapons across the border. Mohd. Adnan would contact their counterpart in Dubai and place the order for weapons, who in turn would convey the demand to other members of the module based in Pakistan.
(SUBHEAD)The Pakistan-based members of this module, after taking the order, would supply weapons by air cargo to Nepal in a concealed iron box specially designed for the purpose. Once the consignment reaches Nepal, the same would be taken out easily by the member of this module, as the custom officials of Nepal are compromised by this module.
Thereafter, Mohd. Ovais and Mohd. Afroz would travel by road, taking advantage of the porous Indo-Nepal border to transport the arms to India. As per their interrogation, they had brought in four consignments, including one dry run. One foreign pistol costs them around 2–3 lakhs, and they used to sell the same to criminals and gangsters of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan for about 7-8 lakhs.
RECOVERY: 12 semi-automatic high-quality pistols (1 made in the USA, 1 made in Turkey, and 1 made in Slovakia), Nepal currency: 2940/-, One Nepal SIM card and two recharge vouchers, One iron box used for trafficking pistols, One i-20 car, One Honda Activa Scooty, 5 mobile phones
KNOW THE ACCUSED:
Ovais has studied up to 10th grade. He has also worked in Bahrain for one year. After the arrest of Shahbaz Ansari, he started trafficking arms from Nepal. He is a skilled driver used to bring the consignment from Nepal to Delhi as he is well aware of all the routes and ways to illegal arms trafficking.
Adnan Hussain Ansari has studied up to 7th grade and runs a hotel in the Hazrat Nizammudin Area. He was impressed by the lavish lifestyle of Shahbaz, who is his distant relative. Shahbaz’s maternal uncle Anwar Kamaal, who is based in Dubai, is also into illegal arms trafficking. Mohd. Adnan conspired with Anwar Kamaal for illegal arms trafficking. Anwar Kamaal has relatives in Pakistan, through whom he coordinated the delivery of arms to Nepal via Air.
Afroz has studied up to 3rd grade and is in the tailoring profession. He is a childhood friend of Mohd. Adnan. For a quick buck, he agreed to be the part of this module and went to Nepal along with Mohd. Ovais for trafficking arms by road.
Further investigation is in progress.
