A day after three accused were arrested with a large cache of arms in Nashik, the Mumbai Police have launched a probe into the case.
Nashik rural police on Friday morning had seized rifles, revolvers, pistols and 4,000 live rounds of ammunition. The three accused were allegedly carrying the weapons to Mumbai. Further inquiries revealed that the Mahindra Bolero in which they were travelling, was stolen from Oshiwara.
On Saturday, the Mumbai Police Crime Branch picked up several garage owners from Sewri, where two of the three arrested accused stay. A Crime Branch officer said, “Two garage owners told us that their services were enlisted to create cavities between the outer and inner walls of the Bolero where the guns were concealed. They said the accused were notorious in the area and threatened them with dire consequences if they did not help them.”
The police are also tracking the movements of the Bolero after it was stolen from Oshiwara on December 5. The accused took the vehicle to Uttar Pradesh, from where the weapons were allegedly stolen.
An officer with the Crime Branch of the Nashik rural police said, “We are still verifying if the arrested trio stole the arms or if someone else sold it to them. The guns are factory made and seem to have been stolen from an authorised gun repair centre. We are working with the U.P. police to find out more about the case.”
Inquiries have also pointed to the involvement of a middleman in Mumbai. The police are working on identifying and apprehending this person.
Meanwhile, a team of Mumbai Crime Branch officers reached Chandwad, where the accused were held, on Saturday. The police are likely to be given access to the arrested accused for interrogation on Sunday.
